Pro-Environmental Change: What Is It, Really?

Abstract

The study researches personal green shift (pro-environmental self-change) through a constructivist epistemological framework. The main aim of the research is to analyse how these individuals explain and make sense of their shift towards being more pro-environmental, their motivations and actions, as well as the way they use language to convey their message. The research is relevant for understanding the discrepancies commonly found in research of environmental behaviour and attitudes, such as different interpretations of “pro-environmental” and the intent-action gap [1], as it provides insight into meaning-making and discourse among pro-environmental individuals.

In the view of constructivism, knowledge, language and action are interrelated: knowledge is seen as created through language, and action is seen as influenced by how we interpret the world - by our knowledge [2]. Constructivist research does not approach reality as something that is given and can be accurately conveyed through language or observation, but rather as something dynamic and dependent on the interpreter, situation and interactions. It therefore focuses rather on how a concept is made sense of, and not on what is "true" - how the green shift was explained and discussed, and how this construes a specific "reality". In the process of research, the researcher’s self-reflection is key, as they also construe meaning from the data acquired [3]: a reflection on their motivations, beliefs and contextual background, as well as on the research process and what they consider as self-evident. This transparency may allow the reader to understand the subjective nature of the research.

The research employs focus groups of 3-5 Slovene pro-environmental individuals, and a semi-structured discussion on the topic of pro-environmentalism and personal green shift is facilitated by a moderator. The participants are also given an open-ended questionnaire before the discussion to stimulate their thought process and provide the researcher with additional information. The discussions are then transcribed, which is followed by a reflexive thematic analysis following constructivist principles [3]. The construed themes are then viewed and interpreted within a wider socio-cultural context.

So far, two preliminary focus groups (N=3) have been conducted. Based on the analysis, there was a recurring theme of the meaning of “pro-environmental” being explained as closely related to individual circumstances (environment, knowledge, convenience, etc.) within which one is “trying their best”, and not linked to any specific behaviour. There was also a theme of “the system”, which was explained as something denying us to be truly pro-environmental, and the ideal of “community”. The green shift was explained as a gradual process, heavily linked to one’s childhood and upbringing.

References

[1] C. Brick et al., “Current research practices on pro-environmental behavior: A survey of environmental psychologists,” Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 97, pp. 102375–102375, Aug. 2024. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2024.102375.

[2] V. Burr, Social Constructionism, 3^rd ed., London: Routledge, 2015. [Online]. Available: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315715421/social-constructionism-vivien-burr‌.

[3] V. Braun and V. Clarke, Thematic analysis: a Practical Guide. London: Sage Publications, 2021.