Causal Analysis on Formaiton of Pro-Environmental Behaviours in China, Japan and South Korea: From a Perspective of Demographic Factor

The influences of demographic factors on pro-environmental behaviours have been subjected to substantial empirical studied. The main conclusions derived from previous research are that younger generations, women and those of a higher social class (indicated by higher education, income and occupational prestige) are more inclined to behave environmentally. However, these conclusions were argued as “based on Western culture and on period varying between 1970s to 90s” and “different outcome can be expected from different culture and historical context’. This paper aims to clarify the influences of demographic factors on the formation of 4 kinds of pro-environmental behaviours and to verify these associations in the social background of East Asia. The data analyzed in this paper come from a cross-national survey entitled as “The East Asian Survey on People’s Sense of Culture, Life and Environment”. Based on the analysis of the data collected in Japan (n=894), South Korea (n=1000), and two cities of China including Beijing (n=1000) and Hangzhou (n=1011), the following results were indicated: in Japan the elderly tend to have pro-environmental behaviours whereas in China are those with younger age; education level has significant and stable influences on the formation of pro-environmental behaviours in all three countries; in Japan males and people who have religious faith or belief tend to have pro-environmental behaviours whereas gender and region have no significant influence in China and South Korea; Income were proved to have no significant influence on the formation of people’s pro-environmental behaviors in three countries.