Forty years of environmental risk perceptions : evidence from the Slovenian public opinion survey

Malnar, Brina (author), Šinko, Milan (author)

This paper examines a forty-year dynamic of concern for the environment among Slovenian respondents. It first makes an inventory of the variables that are presumed to influence perceptions of environmental risk, then proceeds to analyse twelve Slovenia Public Opinion datasets to observe the trends. The longitudinal evidence reveals considerable shifts in the perception of environmental concern, particularly in response to dramatic outside events (such as Chernobyl). The trends reveal a cyclic pattern, with 2011 levels of concern having returned to the levels observed in the early 1970s, following a peak in the early 1990s. No distinctive patterns for the different types of environmental risk can be observed, which suggests that respondents fail to make a distinction between the different types. Finally, the data reveals that previous differences of opinion that correlated with levels of education and age have gradually been disappearing. The observed trends in environmental concern are best explained by macro factors, in particular the challenge-response model, the agenda-setting model, and the issue-entrepreneurship model.

• Language: English
• Work type: Not categorized
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Year: 2012
• Number of pages: Str. 471-491, 600-601
• Numbering: Letn. 49, št. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-75312
• UDC: 502/504:316.653(497.4)
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 31363421
• Publication date in RUL: 21.12.2015

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian

Abstract

Članek obravnava štiridesetletno dinamiko zaznav okoljskih tveganj med slovenskimi anketiranci. Uvodoma avtorja naredita pregled teoretičnih konceptov, ki vplivajo na zaznave, nato pa analizirata dvanajst meritev raziskave Slovensko javno mnenje, ki vsebujejo primerljive kazalce teh zaznav. Podatki pokažejo precejšnje medčasovne premike, predvsem kot odziv anketirancev na dramatični zunanji dogodek (Černobil). Trend pokaže cikličen vzorec, saj so v letu 2011 zaznave ogroženosti okolja zopet na ravni, kakršna je bila izmerjena v prvi meritvi leta 1973, potem ko dosežejo svoj vrh leta 1990. Podatki ne kažejo razlik v trendih med posameznimi vrstami ekoloških tveganj, kar nakazuje, da anketiranci ne delajo razlike med ponujenimi koncepti. Kaže se tudi postopno izginjanje razlik med izobrazbenimi in starostnimi skupinami. Izmerjene trende zaznav okoljskih tveganj pojasnjujejo predvsem makro dejavniki, predvsem model odzivanja na dogodek, model določanja dnevnega reda (agenda setting) in model socialnega podjetništva (issue-entrepreneurship).