Attitudes towards nature
Hi everyone, instead of my usual posts with research, I thought it would be interesting to explore the kind of thoughts the family members of an environmental studies major would have towards nature and if they differed with gender. Thus, I conducted an interview with my family members to assess the similarities and differences in attitudes towards nature between the different genders within my own family.
My family consists of my mum and dad, my younger brother, and my two younger sisters:) I asked them a bunch of questions as listed below:
Results from a little experiment: We were at a drinks store and I offered each a plastic, paper, and metal straw to choose from.
- What is/are the reason(s) for your choice?
- On a scale of 1-5 (1= not at all, 3= moderately, and 5= absolutely), do you like interacting with nature?
- Why?
- What are some examples of your interaction(s) with nature?
- How would you define the relationship between humans and nature?
- On the same scale of 1-5, how willing would you be to participate in conservation efforts?
- Why?
- Lastly, on a scale of 1-5, how willing would you be to change your lifestyle for sustainability?
- What are your reasons?
I compiled the results in the table below (if the images are not clear you can click on them and you will be redirected to an enlarged version):
Wow! IĀ felt amazed while conducting this interview as I got some responses that I did not expect :0
As an environmental studies major, I expected that my family would be more aware of environmental problems and the importance of sustainability. Thus, I was not that surprised by the responses of my sisters and my parents which were generally the same. However, my brother had the most interesting response that I did not see coming.
Although it seemed as if he had less environmental consciousness due to his response in choosing a plastic straw, you can see that while he still has appreciation and respect for nature, he tends to prioritize his comfort and convenience more than my other family members. Then overall, from my interview results, I deduced that while the members of my family mostly held similar levels of empathy towards nature, the women felt more strongly towards the role of humans in degrading nature.
However, I cannot generalize that men have more nonchalant attitudes towards nature than because of my small sample size so it may be worth it to ask more questions to a larger group of people! Still, it was pretty interesting to see how my family viewed nature compared to my own views as a student of environmental studies.
chloeyong • October 31, 2020
Joanna Coleman November 1, 2020 - 5:13 am
Hi Chloe,
Interesting approach ! Not sure this reveals anything about gender, but the thing that most struck me was your littlest sister’s response to Q4 – I breathe air. I interpreted this as the only response that directly acknowledges the fact that we need Nature to survive. Maybe that’s not what she meant – as in, maybe she meant the same thing as your brother did. But still. She’s the youngest and, to me at least, she seems to feel the greatest sense of urgency when it comes to the environmental crisis. That said, your other sister also referred to humans as parasites on Nature. To me, your parents seemed to have almost more romanticised visions of humanity’s relationship with Nature and I sensed very little urgency in their responses.
chloeyong November 6, 2020 - 3:01 am
Hi Dr. Coleman,
Sorry for the late reply! I feel that the responses of my siblings are somewhat shaped by the school we attended, especially with regards to my youngest sister. She has attended our school in Taiwan from 1st grade till 4th grade while my other siblings attended primary school in Singapore. While I observed Singapore’s primary education to be more focused on establishing foundational skills for upper primary and secondary school through going through their academic syllabus, our school in Taiwan focused more on critical thinking and holistic development. While she did have core classes like English, science, and math, they also had homeroom which taught them about the environment, space, and society. Thus, despite being the youngest in the family, I often find myself surprised by her insightful statements sometimes critiquing the mold of our society.
This brings me to my belief that education plays a key role in not just spreading environmental awareness, but also spreading awareness for other societal issues as well.
-Chloe
Si Ying November 5, 2020 - 3:26 am
Hi Chloe,
Interesting results from your interview with your family. Now that I think about it, my brother and dad seem to show less concern for the environment compared to my mum and I (e.g. my mum and I actively reduce usage of disposables and recycle while my brother and dad don’t do so unless we remind them). What do you think are possible reasons why females seem to care more for the environment compared to males? Could it be due to deeply ingrained perceptions that women are “caregivers” that have led women to actually care more about the environment?
– Si Ying
chloeyong November 6, 2020 - 3:06 am
Hi Si Ying,
Thank you for the comment. I definitely agree that the perception of women as altruistic and nurturing has shaped us one way or another to fit that stereotype. I think another reason why women are more inclined to care for the environment than men is also that women are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation and climate change, or that they feel more of a connection with nature because of their similar nurturing characteristics. I hope that was able to offer you some insight:)
– Chloe
Si Ying November 8, 2020 - 4:33 am
Hi Chloe,
Thanks for your reply! I came across this article (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/06/eco-gender-gap-why-saving-planet-seen-womens-work) related to my question and thought I would share it with you. It brought up another point that there is a growing stereotype that people who adopt green practices are feminine, so men are more hesitant to show concern for the environment.
– Si Ying
chloeyong November 8, 2020 - 8:03 am
Hi Si Ying,
Thanks for sharing this article with me! I agree with its stance and can see how toxic masculinity comes into play with this issue of genderizing problems (e.g. environmental sustainability is more of a woman’s problem).
– Chloe
Joanna Coleman November 6, 2020 - 3:49 am
Hi Chloe,
Not sure if you’ve though of this… but it has occurred to me to compare the performance of countries currently led by women when it comes to the environment & human rights with that of countries led by men.
Know what else I’ve noticed ? No such thing as a fascist female or LGBTQ+ leader.
I follow Jacinda Ardern on FB, watch speeches by AOC or Elizabeth May (the former leader of Canada’s Green Party) and am so inspired. I think to myself, what if women and other marginalised peoples were suddenly the ones in charge ?
jc
chloeyong November 7, 2020 - 4:38 pm
Hi Dr. Coleman,
That is a very interesting a valid point of view you bring up! I’ll definitely look into that!
I also feel that life, where women and other marginalized people are in charge, would be a stark contrast to the ones we have now. I feel this way because these people have a long history of their experiences and identities being effaced, being discriminated against, and being underrepresented. Especially because this actually describes a majority of people in our societies, I feel that the people have a higher chance of having their voices heard if the people that related to them were the ones in positions of power.
– Chloe
jolee2001 November 6, 2020 - 5:04 am
Hi Chloe!
This is a really interesting post! I never thought of how men and women could possibly have a difference in terms of their view towards nature. Do you think it is worth or ever possible to convince your brother and father to do more for the environment? I hope to hear from you soon š
– Jo
chloeyong November 7, 2020 - 4:29 pm
Hey Jo,
Thanks for your comment! Within my own family, I feel like my father and brother are willing to listen to my point of view and change some of their habits for the better of the environment. Of course, this process will take time, but I believe that increasing their environmental awareness is worth it. š
– Chloe