Chinese Journal of Sociology

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DifferentialExposure，DifferentialOccupation，and Differential Experience：An Empirical Analysis on Differences in Chinese UrbanRural Residents’ Environmental Concern

  

  1. Author 1：FAN Yechao，Department of Sociology，Renmin University of China；
    Author 2：HONG Dayong，Department of Sociology & Institute of Environmental Sociology，Renmin University of China
  • Online:2015-05-20 Published:2015-05-20
  • Contact: FAN Yechao，Department of Sociology，Renmin University of China E-mail:fanyechao@ruc.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    The research was supported by MOE Project of Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences at Universities (13JJD840006).

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Abstract:  Using Data from 2010 China General Social Survey, this paper presents a comparative analysis on the urbanrural differences in environmental concern in mainland China. Firstly, it could be concluded from the literature review that the Residence Hypothesisthat urban residents are more environmentally concerned than the ruralhad once been extensively supported in the western countries, and there are mainly three theoretical explanations for this hypothesis: differentialexposure theory, differentialoccupation theory, and differentialexperience theory. Secondly, the measurement model for Chinese residents’ environmental concern consists of five facetsNew Ecological Paradigm (NEP), the degree of attention paid to environmental issues, the assessment of environmental hazards, the willingness to pay for environmental protection, and daily environmental behaviors and 21 indicators in total; the results of secondorder confirmatory factor analysis indicate that both urban and rural residents share a coherent belief system in perceiving environmental issues. Thirdly,  the results of ANOVA analysis indicate that there are indeed significant differences in the level of urbanrural residents’ environmental concern, with urban residents show more environmental concern in many aspects. Fourthly，the results of Structural Equation Modeling indicate that only differentialexposure theory can explain a part of urbanrural differences while the other two are not supported by data; besides, environmental knowledge and media use display significant mediating effects on the formation of the gap between the urban and the rural residents.Last but not the least, it is inappropriate or limited to apply the theories rooted in western societies to explain the urbanrural differences in mainland China; furthermore, judging from both the existing studies and the variation trend in the long term, the urbanrural differences in environmental concern are definitely being convergent and will finally go to the isomorphism.

Key words: environmental knowledge ,  environmental concern , media use, urbanrural differences