New Ways of Thinking about Environmentalism: Elaborating on Gender Differences in Environmentalism

2000/01/01 by Lynnette C. Zelezny, Lynnette Zelezny, Poh‐Pheng Chua +1 · 1,793 citations
Business, Management and Accounting · Environmental Science · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Action (physics) #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Developmental psychology #Environmental Education and Sustainability #Environmental Sustainability in Business #Environmentalism #Political science #Politics #Psychology #Social psychology #Socialization

paper · doi:10.1111/0022-4537.00177

published in Journal of Social Issues 56(3), 443-457 (Wiley)

openalex publication_date 2000/01/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03

Abstract

A review of recent research (1988 to 1998) on gender differences in environmental attitudes and behaviors found that, contrary to past inconsistencies, a clearer picture has emerged: Women report stronger environmental attitudes and behaviors than men. Additional evidence of gender differences in environmental attitudes and behaviors was also supported across age (Study 1) and across 14 countries (Study 2). As a single variable, the effect of gender on proenvironmental behavior was consistently stronger than on environmental attitudes. Explanations for gender differences in environmentalism were examined in Study 3. It was found that compared to males, females had higher levels of socialization to be other oriented and socially responsible. Implications for theory, social action, and policy are discussed.

Citations

• Gender and Environmental Risk Concerns
• New Trends in Measuring Environmental Attitudes: Measuring Endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm: A Revised NEP Scale
• Who cares about ecology? Personality and sex differences in environmental concern1
• Value Orientations, Gender, and Environmental Concern
• The Value Basis of Environmental Concern
• Gender and Values

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Related

• Cross‐National Gender Variation in Environmental Behaviors*
• The Gender Gap in Environmental Concern: Support for an Ecofeminist Perspective and the Role of Gender Egalitarian Attitudes
• The Gender Environmentalism Gap in Germany and the Netherlands
• Gender, Values, and Environmentalism
• Who cares about ecology? Personality and sex differences in environmental concern1