Environmental Responsibility of the Population: Experience of Sociological measurement

Abstract

The materials of surveys conducted within the framework of the «International Social Survey Programme» in 2020 - 2021 are analyzed. The main attention is paid to identifying the level of environmental responsibility of the Russian population in comparison with other countries participating in the project. On the basis of multidimensional analysis, integrative indicators were calculated that characterize the environmental responsibility of the population by taking into account social attitudes and behavioral practices. It is stated that in Russia the principles of environmental responsibility are relatively weakly expressed. Russians are much less prepared for additional material spending and self-limiting actions in order to preserve the environment. At the same time, the minimum level of involvement of the population in the practices of environmentally responsible behavior is fixed, which is partly due to insufficiently developed infrastructure. It is concluded that, despite the postulation at the state level of the need to form an ecological culture of the population, in Russia, in comparison with other states, low indicators of environmental responsibility are recorded. The factors of environmental responsibility of Russians are considered. The presence of a significant direct correlation between the severity of environmental responsibility attitudes and the personal income of the respondents was revealed. It is noted that in our country there is a feedback between personal income and practices of environmentally responsible behavior, which can be considered as evidence of the important role of the motive for financial savings. Education is considered as the main channel for the formation of environmental responsibility. It is stated that only in Russia there is no statistically significant relationship between the level of education and the components of environmental responsibility. Highly educated Russians, as well as poorly educated compatriots, demonstrate a low level of formation of environmental responsibility attitudes and involvement in environmentally responsible behavior. It is concluded that the implementation of environmental education in modern Russia faces significant problems.