Explaining public participation in environmental governance in China

Munro, N. (2021) Explaining public participation in environmental governance in China. Environmental Values, 30(4), pp. 453-475. (doi: 10.3197/096327120X15868540131314)

Abstract

This article uses nationwide survey data to answer two questions: who participates in environmental governance in China and why? First it explores the social structural characteristics that distinguish participants, finding that city dwellers, the more educated and those with higher incomes and higher social status are more likely to participate, while women, the elderly, those with rural residence registration and migrants are less likely. It then tests two main explanations as to why people participate in environmental governance: instrumentality and identity. Participation is associated with attention to conservation issues, the perceived effectiveness of local environmental governance, knowledge of environmental problems, reading newspapers and magazines, voting in local elections, identification with a middle-class lifestyle and observance of Western holidays. Combining the analyses into a structural model shows that instrumental and identity-related variables account for nearly all of the social structural variation in participation. Participation is thus a function both of instrumental considerations and identities.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Munro, Dr Neil
• Authors: Munro, N.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: Environmental Values
• Publisher: White Horse Press
• ISSN: 0963-2719
• ISSN (Online): 1752-7015
• Published Online: 10 June 2020
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 The White Horse Press
• First Published: First published in Environmental Values 30(4): 453-475
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher