Accidental environmentalists: How social position and political ideology impact positive social evaluations of green behaviors

• In Event: 3547 - Regulating Consumption, Regulating Consumers

Abstract

Past research suggests that green behaviors—actions intended to reduce environmental impact—may earn social approval. Using semi-structured interviews and vignette experiments, we test and affirm this proposition. Qualitative data indicate, however, that people (particularly political liberals) reserve approval for wealthy, green households; low-income, green households are deemed accidental environmentalists. A vignette experiment, conducted through the National Science Foundations’ Time-Sharing Experiments in the Social Sciences (TESS), confirms these findings with a representative sample of United States (US) residents. Our paper advances understanding of the status dimensions of green lifestyles by demonstrating social approval of green behaviors and by showing how approval is affected by the social status of the person being judged and the political ideology of those making evaluations.

Authors

• Emily Huddart Kennedy, University of British Columbia

• Christine Horne, Washington State University