Yeşil Zihinler, Gri Dünyalar: İklim Değişikliği Temsillerinin Sosyo-Bilişsel Analizi

Öz

Bu araştırmada, iklim değişikliğinin olumsuz etkilerini azaltmak amacıyla çevre dostu davranışlar sergileyen ve sergilemeyen insanların sosyal ve bilişsel süreçleri Sosyal Temsiller Teorisi perspektifiyle incelenmiştir. İç içe karma araştırma modelinin kullanıldığı çalışmaya, kolay örnekleme yoluyla 384 üniversite öğrencisi (Kadın = 231, Erkek = 153) katılmıştır. Veriler, çeşitli istatistiksel analizlere, prototip analizine ve içerik analizine tabi tutulmuştur. Sonuçlar, katılımcıların iklimsel koşulların değiştiğini fark ettiklerini, iklim değişikliğini yetkin bir şekilde bilmeyen birine tarif edebileceklerini, bu konuda ortalamanın üzerinde bilgi sahibi olduklarını düşündüklerini ve iklim değişikliğiyle ilgili güncel gelişmeleri dikkatle takip ettiklerini göstermektedir. Ayrıca, katılımcılar iklim değişikliği ile ilgili haberlere sıklıkla internet ve televizyon aracılığıyla ulaştıklarını belirtmektedirler. Ancak, çoğu katılımcının iklim değişikliğiyle ilgili bilimsel, felsefi veya sanatsal etkinliklere katılmadıkları ve iklim dostu bir yaşam tarzına geçmedikleri görülmektedir. Prototip analizi ve içerik analizi sonuçlarına göre, çevre dostu davranış sergileyenler ile sergilemeyenlerin iklim değişikliğine ilişkin sosyal temsilleri ve bu konudaki duyguları arasında önemli ölçüde benzerlikler görülmektedir. Her iki grup iklim değişikliğini, bu değişikliğin etkileri (örn., kuraklık, mevsim değişikliği, hastalıklar) ve nedenleri (örn., fosil yakıtlar, sanayileşme, bilinçsizlik) aracılığıyla temsil etmektedir. Bu konudaki çözüm önerilerine ise değinmemektedirler. Ayrıca her iki grup iklim değişikliğinin antropojenik nedenlerini (örn., çevre kirliliği, hava kirliliği, kirlilik) ve iklim değişikliğinin aslında doğrudan gözlenemeyen nedenlerini (örn., sera gazları, karbondioksit, ozon tabakasının delinmesi) vurgulamaktadır. İklim değişikliğinin katılımcılarda uyandırdığı duygular incelendiğinde; çevre dostu davranış sergilediğini bildiren katılımcılar için en sık ifade edilen duygular, kötü, üzüntü, korku, endişe ve kaygı iken; çevre dostu davranış sergilemediğini bildiren katılımcılar en sık kötü, korku, üzüntü, kaygı, endişe duygularını ifade etmişlerdir. Bu sonuçlar, sosyal temsiller literatürü çerçevesinde sosyo-bilişsel düzeyde tartışılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Bilişsel Polifazi
• Çevre Dostu Davranışlar
• İklim Değişikliği
• Karma Desen
• Sosyal Temsiller

Green Minds, Gray Worlds: A Socio-Cognitive Analysis of Representations of Climate Change

Abstract

This study examines the social and cognitive processes of people who do and do not engage in pro-environmental behaviors to reduce the negative effects of climate change from the perspective of Social Representations Theory. The study employed a nested mixed research model, and 384 university students participated through convenience sampling. The data collected was subjected to several forms of analysis. These included statistical analysis, prototype analysis, and content analysis. The results show that the participants are aware that climate conditions have changed, that they can competently describe climate change to someone who does not know, that they consider themselves to have above-average knowledge on the subject, and that they follow current developments related to climate change closely. In addition, participants indicated that they frequently access news about climate change through the Internet and television. However, it is observed that most of the participants do not participate in scientific, philosophical, or artistic activities related to climate change and do not adopt a climate-friendly lifestyle. According to the results of prototype analysis and content analysis, there are significant similarities between the social representations of climate change and the feelings of those who engage in, as well as those who do not engage in, pro-environmental behavior. Both groups represent climate change through its impacts (e.g. drought, seasonal changes, diseases) and its causes (e.g. fossil fuels, industrialization, lack of awareness). They do not mention the solution proposals on this issue. In addition, both groups express anthropogenic causes of climate change (e.g., environmental pollution, air pollution, pollution) and causes of climate change that cannot actually be directly observed (e.g., greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, ozone depletion). When the emotions aroused by climate change were examined; the most frequently expressed emotions for the participants who reported that they exhibited pro-environmental behavior were bad, sadness, fear, anxiety and worry, while the participants who reported that they did not exhibit pro-environmental behavior most frequently expressed bad, fear, sadness, anxiety and worry. s. These findings are discussed at the socio-cognitive level within the literature on social representations.

Keywords

• Climate Change
• Cognitive Polyphasia
• Mixed Design
• Pro-Environmental Behavior
• Social Representations

Kaynakça

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