title: Identity and environmentalism: the influence of community characteristics.
abstract: This paper examines the influence of community characteristics on self-proclaimed environmentalism. We find that the composition of a community affects the likelihood that a person claims to be a strong environmentalist even after controlling for individual political leaning, socio-economic characteristics, and pro-environment behaviors. Individuals are more likely to claim to be strong environmentalists if they live in areas where a larger share of the population has post-graduate degrees, if they live in heavily Democratic areas, or if they live in heavily Republican areas. These community effects occur only when individuals are predisposed to take on an environmental identity.
authors.affiliation: Hamilton College, Clinton, NY.
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Owen
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Videras
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000397:Air Pollution / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004777:Environment; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D011634:Public Health / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D011639:Public Opinion / Q000266:history; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000266:history; D012919:Social Behavior / Q000266:history; D012922:Social Change / Q000266:history; D012933:Social Identification; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014481:United States / Q000208:ethnology; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000191:economics / Q000266:history / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence