Environmentalism and Education in Australia

Abstract

Tertiary education, seen as an indicator of new class and/or highly developed cognitive capacities, is a key characteristic of environmental activists and supporters. The relationship between higher education and environmental activism can be usefully explored through analyses of nationally representative survey data from Australia, and various aspects of education can be operationalised, including social background, cultural consumption, and level and type of tertiary qualifications. Controlling for other factors, tertiary education can be shown to be a moderate predictor of joining environmental groups, but to be far more important for explaining environmental activism. The propensity to be environmentally active is fostered through education in the more 'radical' humanities disciplines. The results of such an enquiry highlight the salience of an 'intellectual' status category as a base of environmental activism.