America versus the Environment? Humanity, Nature, and the Sacred 1973-2014

Abstract

The relationship between environmental concern and religiosity in the United States is complex and contentious. Analyses of survey research have yielded mixed results. Historical research has indicated that some strands of present-day environmentalism in the U.S. are rooted in specific Protestant attitudes and practices. Conceptual work has suggested that faith-based environmental organizations focus on long-term ethical change, rather than issue-based policy reform. It follows that efforts to model the connection between environmental concern and religiosity should account for change over time, which is the aim of this dissertation research. Using data from the 1973-2014 General Social Survey, measures of stewardship and conservation were regressed on several dimensions of change over time within religious group identities, including cohorts (Chapter 3), upbringing and disaffiliation (Chapter 4), as well as calendar year and age (Chapter 5). Environmental concern in the U.S. increased over time across all groups, but generally increased more quickly on average among members of religious groups with historical pro-environmental stances. Upbringing in a religious group with a historical pro-environmental stance was linked to higher levels of environmental concern in adulthood, though the highest levels of environmental concern were found among those who disaffiliated in adulthood. Younger religious persons were significantly more environmentally concerned than older religious persons in the same religious group. Separating cohorts by gender (Chapter 6), class (Chapter 7), as well as political party affiliation and race (Chapter 8): religious group identity was more salient in predicting changes in environmental concern over time among men; the conditional effect of religious group identity on environmental concern is largely confined to people of average income; and the often-discussed political polarization on environmental concern is largely due to increasing divides among white Protestants. In short, environmental concern has increased among younger religious adherents relative to older members of the same group. These trends generally take the form of “catching up to” historically higher levels of environmental concern among the unaffiliated. This research offers a relatively novel means by which to approach the religion-environment connection and suggests that religious groups may play a meaningful role in future efforts to address environmental issues.