Gendered Perspectives About Water Risks and Policy Strategies: A Tripartite Conceptual Approach

Abstract

Previous research has examined gendered perspectives on a variety of environmental risks. Mixed results complicate the ability to make generalizations about human-ecological judgments, largely because of the use of inconsistent conceptual and methodological approaches in previous work. Following the tripartite model, we examine differences between men and women for diverse attitudinal judgments about water scarcity and resource governance in the desert metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona. Although women exhibit significantly stronger affective concern about water scarcity risks than men, cognitive perceptions about the causes of risks and conative attitudes about management strategies are largely the same across genders. As a whole, this article clarifies gender differences in environmental perspectives and posits a clear conceptual approach in examining multidimensional judgments in diverse contexts.