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A new tool to map the major worldviews in the Netherlands and USA, and explore how they relate to climate change

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  • De Witt, Annick
  • de Boer, Joop
  • Hedlund, Nicholas
  • Osseweijer, Patricia

Abstract

For addressing climate change, public support for changes in policy is needed, as well changes in individual lifestyles. Both of these appear to be intimately related with people’s worldviews. Understanding these worldviews is therefore essential. In order to research and ‘map’ them, we translated the theoretical ‘Integrative Worldview Framework’ (IWF) into an empirical, quantitative approach. We constructed a worldview-scale aiming to distinguish between four major worldviews – labeled traditional, modern, postmodern, and integrative – and explored their interface with opinions and behaviors with respect to climate change. The survey was conducted with representative samples of citizens in the Netherlands and the USA (n=527 and n=556). The hypothesized worldviews were found in the data with a reasonable degree of reliability, especially in the Dutch sample. We also found consistent relationships between these worldview-clusters and a range of opinions, political priorities, and behaviors. In both countries postmoderns and integratives displayed significantly more concern about climate change as well as more sustainable behaviors, compared with moderns and traditionals. The implications of these findings for environmental policy and social science are noteworthy.

Suggested Citation

  • De Witt, Annick & de Boer, Joop & Hedlund, Nicholas & Osseweijer, Patricia, 2016. "A new tool to map the major worldviews in the Netherlands and USA, and explore how they relate to climate change," Environmental Science & Policy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 101-112.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:enscpo:v:63:y:2016:i:c:p:101-112
    DOI: 10.1016/j.envsci.2016.05.012
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    Cited by:

    1. Elettra Agliardi & Anastasios Xepapadeas, 2018. "Optimal Scheduling of Greenhouse Gas Emissions under Carbon Budgeting and Policy Design," DEOS Working Papers 1808, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    2. Loconto, Allison & Desquilbet, Marion & Moreau, Théo & Couvet, Denis & Dorin, Bruno, 2020. "The land sparing – land sharing controversy: Tracing the politics of knowledge," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    3. Joya A. Kemper & C. Michael Hall & Paul W. Ballantine, 2019. "Marketing and Sustainability: Business as Usual or Changing Worldviews?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, February.
    4. repec:aly:journl:202075 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Hochachka, Gail, 2021. "Integrating the four faces of climate change adaptation: Towards transformative change in Guatemalan coffee communities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    6. Malkamäki, Arttu & Ylä-Anttila, Tuomas & Brockhaus, Maria & Toppinen, Anne & Wagner, Paul M., 2021. "Unity in diversity? When advocacy coalitions and policy beliefs grow trees in South Africa," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    7. Elettra Agliardi & Thomas Alexopoulos & Christian Cech, 2019. "On the Relationship Between GHGs and Global Temperature Anomalies: Multi-level Rolling Analysis and Copula Calibration," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 72(1), pages 109-133, January.
    8. Sang Putu Kaler Surata & Dewa Ayu Puspawati & Putu Eka Pasmidi Ariati & I. Gusti Agung Paramitha Eka Putri, 2022. "The ecological views of the Balinese toward their subak cultural landscape heritage," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(11), pages 12994-13010, November.
    9. Wamsler, Christine & Brink, Ebba, 2018. "Mindsets for Sustainability: Exploring the Link Between Mindfulness and Sustainable Climate Adaptation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 55-61.

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