Post Materialism and Environmental Attitudes in Kazakhstan

• In Event: What Determines Views on Contemporary Political Issues?

Abstract

Does the role of values (materialist or post-materialist) shape public opinion over whether the environment is prioritized over the economy or not? Inglehart’s theory of post-materialism suggests that when society is focused on materialism it will support economic growth at the cost of environmental degradation. Kazakhstan is an emerging economy where individuals vary between materialism and post-materialism in their value systems. Since post-material theory success that an individual’s personal economic environment shapes their value system, this article shows that the conditions within Kazakhstan shape the way that these values are lived out. Using a public opinion survey of 3000 households in Kazakhstan on questions of values, the environment, and economics suggests that post-materialism alone cannot explain individual opinions. Environmental attitudes are best explained through a mix of post-materialism AND their individual economic environment.

Author

• Jessica Elizabeth Neafie, Nazarbayev University