The Association between Religious Affiliation and Environmental Concern

Live Poster Session: Zoom Link

Madeline Frew

Madeline is a senior at Wesleyan University from Brooklyn, NY. As a double Environmental Studies and Government (Comparative Politics) major, Madeline’s research interests surround the interdisciplinary qualities of environmentalism, particularly pertaining to environmental policy. Currently, she is writing a Senior Essay surrounding green building development for affordable housing in China. 

Abstract: One’s social and cultural background has been shown to have a large influence on how political issues are perceived. In the face of the climate crisis at hand, this study is intended to understand the association between religion and environmental concern, as well as the way in which gender may interact with this association. More specifically, this study seeks to use statistical methods in order to investigate whether those affiliated with the Protestant faith show more concern for the environment, and whether these results are consistent between the two sexes. It was found that while both Protestant religious affiliates and those with no religious affiliation show higher than neutral levels of environmental concern, Protestants show slightly less concern. Within both groups, females are expected to show greater concern. The results of this study prove important in understanding the most current views surrounding environmental issues and what factors can be used to predict such views.

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