The Cultural and Ideological Origins of Risk Perceptions: Who’s Afraid of Climate Change. R. E. O’Connor, R. J. Bord, and A. Fisher, Dept of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Pennsylvania State University, Univ Park, PA
This research explores the cultural and ideological origins of risk perceptions tied to climate change and other potential threats to personal and societal health and well-being. The data are a national sample of 1,218 mail surveys that include measures of risk perceptions, cultural biases, political and environmental ideologies, and demographic variables. The risks examined have their origins in the environment (hazardous chemical wastes, air pollution, global warming, and water pollution), health (AIDS, cancer, heart disease), and other people (violent crime and automobile accidents). Culture and ideology matter in accounting for risk perceptions, but the relationships vary depending upon the nature of the risk and whether the risk is conceptualized as personal or societal. These findings have implications for programs of risk communication and public information.
Supported by National Science Foundation (SRB-9409548) and US EPA (CR 826554).
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