Chapter 4 Literature Review

Since attitudes are generally more easily acquired in childhood, the study of environmental education should begin at an early age. Dewey (1996) states that education at a young age is very important in raising awareness, creating desirable behaviors and encouraging positive attitudes towards the environment. G ̈uven(2013) emphasizes that individuals with a positive environmental attitude show positive behaviors towards the environment and that determining the level of attitudes of individuals towards the environment and environmental issues and taking necessary actions in accordance with the results in terms of elimination is of great importance and avoidance of environmental problems. People with a negative attitude towards the environment do not react to environmental problems and can even become part of the problems (Ulu ̧cınar Sa ̆gır et al., 2008). Therefore, having a positive attitude towards the environment is very valuable for people of all ages, gender, professional and socio-economic background.

The future of the planet is in the hands of the youth: they are the decision makers of the future. It is therefore necessary to understand what drives children and young people to behave in a pro-environmental manner. Policy makers, curriculum developers and designers of environmental education programs have expressed a keen interest in knowing how environmental attitudes develop among young people and what causes the differences in these attitudes. Young people’s environmental attitudes have also become a growing topic for social scientists. Most research aimed at explaining differences in (adolescent) environmental attitudes focuses on the individual as a measurement level. However, individuals operate within a social structure; they are part of a context. People are born into and grow up in a cultural environment that influences and shapes their attitudes and behaviors (Giddens 1997). Therefore, rather than viewing the individual as just themselves, a better level of measurement would be the individual in their context. Attitudes are expressed in actions and in the interaction between people. The context and the social groups we belong to limit what we do, feel or think. Kellert (1983, 1986, 1991, 1993) therefore focused on examining the willingness of people of different nationalities and social groups to make personal sacrifices in favor of the environment and wildlife. It seems obvious that the most important factor influencing nature is not official environmental policy, but the public’s willingness to care for the environment and bear the costs of minimizing the negative impacts of their activities (Ramsey Rickson, 1976).