Understanding Rural People's Engagement in Pro-Environmental
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J. Agr. Sci. Tech. (2020) Vol. 22(5): 1205-1217 Understanding Rural People’s Engagement in Pro- Environmental Behaviors: An Integrated Conceptual Framework L. Safa1*, and V. Mohammadian Saghinsara1 ABSTRACT Undoubtedly, investigation and recognition of individuals’ environmental behaviors are key prerequisites to resolve environmental problems, but empirical theory-based research on this topic is limited, particularly in developing countries. Accordingly, a mixed model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), and the Norm Activation Model (NAM) was proposed by integrating rational and normative variables to explain Iranian villagers’ engagement in Pro-Environmental Behaviors (PEBs). A structured questionnaire was the main research instrument developed based on the combined TPB- NAM. The face validity of the questionnaire was determined by expert review. Additionally, the construct validity (including convergent and divergent validity) and the composite reliability were achieved by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Data from a survey of 362 rural household heads of Tabriz County selected through a multistage probability sampling with three stages were used to assess empirically the research model and hypothetical relationships. The results of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) revealed that the accuracy and explanatory power of the combined TPB-NAM were superior to those of TPB and NAM. Additionally, Personal Norm (PN) was found to be the most salient predictor of villagers’ engagement in PEBs. Overall, the findings of this study contribute to theory building and development of a more comprehensive model in the field of PEB, and yield more insight into socio-psychological factors influencing villagers’ engagement in PEBs. Keywords: Norm activation model, Personal norm, Rural areas, Theory of planned behavior. INTRODUCTION severe in the rural areas of East Azerbaijan Province as a unique region of the country in Downloaded from jast.modares.ac.ir at 16:57 IRST on Friday September 24th 2021 In recent years, Iran has been faced with terms of its environmental aptitude, numerous environmental crises and particularly its ecological value and challenges (Tahbaz, 2016). The severity of biodiversity (Oulad, 2018). To make it more such problems is multiplied in rural areas clear, one of the most serious environmental given the close linkage between the villages crises in this province including Tabriz and surrounding environment. In more County is attributed to improper waste detail, Iranian environmental crises are very disposal, which has caused air and much tied to the villages in the way that groundwater resources‟ pollution and these crises appear to be virtually embedded wildlife loss. Most importantly, similar to characteristics of rural areas in various other parts of the country, the farmers in provinces (Azmi and Motiee Langroudi, Tabriz County excessively apply chemical 2011). In the same manner, the evidence pesticides and fertilizers on their farms shows that environmental problems are more (Mohammadian Saghinsara, 2018; Rezaei et _____________________________________________________________________________ 1 Department of Agricultural Extension, Communication and Rural Development, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Islamic Republic of Iran. * Corresponding author; e-mail: [email protected] 1205 ___________________________________________________ Safa and Mohammadian Saghinsara al., 2019). Obviously, this behavior not only conservation causes (Larson et al., 2015). has caused crop contamination but also has SE reflects conservation actions whose brought about lots of environmental tensions efficacy is firmly rooted in social including water, air and soil resources‟ relationships and interactions such as contamination and plant and animal participating in a local environmental group biodiversity losses. Similarly, another or association (Larson et al., 2015; Safa et environmental crisis happening in the rural al., 2018). It is worth mentioning that due to areas of Tabriz County is significant water the close relationship between agriculture resources‟ devastate in the agricultural and environment, in addition to the three sector due to traditional irrigation methods‟ categories mentioned, Wang et al. (2014) application by a large number of farmers, and Safa et al. (2018) emphasize that which in turn has resulted in lowering Agricultural-Environmental (AE) practices groundwater levels and drying up of the can be regarded as another key type of springs and rivers in different areas villagers‟ PEBs. Some examples of these (Hosseinzad et al., 2013). Finally, soil actions are applying conservation agriculture erosion is presumed as another practices, using biological methods to environmental issue in the rural areas of control pests, and using modern farm Tabriz County due to farmers‟ improper irrigation systems. Given the importance of agricultural practices, which have imposed PEBs, there is a growing pressure on irreparable damages to the environment farmers to consistently adopt PEBs and (Mohammadian Saghinsara, 2018). Under engage in these behaviors; although much such circumstances, although large-scale uncertainty still exists about the key drivers industries and agribusinesses are generally of farmers‟ environmental decisions and involved, rural people and farmers behaviors particularly socio-psychological themselves are often being challenged as factors in prior studies (Rezaei et al., 2019). culpable interferers in environmental Accordingly, this research aimed to examine destruction process (Sulemana and James, factors affecting villagers‟ engagement in 2014). Therefore, it is essential that the PEBs in Tabriz County, Iran. villagers learn how to modify their practices and adopt Pro-Environmental Behaviors Theoretical Framework and (PEBs) (Price and Leviston, 2014). Development of Research Hypotheses PEBs can be regarded as behaviors exerting minimal destructive effects on the Downloaded from jast.modares.ac.ir at 16:57 IRST on Friday September 24th 2021 environment and may help to conserve the In recent years, numerous theories and environmental resources (Steg and Vlek, models from different academic branches 2009). Generally, as Larson et al. (2015) have been presented to understand and elaborated, different people like villagers predict individuals‟ PEBs (Valizadeh et al., can engage in three separate types of PEBs. 2019b). In general, these theories can be These behaviors include Conservation categorized in two major approaches, Lifestyle (CL), Environmental Citizenship including rational human and moral (EC), and Social Environmentalism (SE). approaches (Valizadeh et al., 2019a). CL refers to individuals‟ daily activities Although the rational human approach influencing environmental sustainability on including theories like the theory of planned a large scale. Some of these actions include behavior (TPB) regards individuals‟ energy saving, recycling products, and pick behavior as a situation of rational choice, the up litter (Larson et al., 2015; Safa et al., moral approach (i.e., theories, including 2018). EC or political consciousness can be norm activation model/ NAM), consider it a simply defined as civic engagement in moral position (Valizadeh et al., 2019a). environmental policy efforts, including However, since engaging in PEBs stems actions such as donating money for from individuals‟ norm-based values and 1206 Rural People and Pro-Environmental Behaviors __________________________________ beliefs and their self-interest and volitional 2007; Park and Ha, 2014; Setiawan et al., intentions (Park and Ha, 2014), the two 2014; Safa et al., 2018). SN is a social factor theoretical models are useful in investigating defined as the individual‟s perceived social PEBs. Despite this, both models have some pressure to shape or not to shape a particular shortcomings. TPB pay no attention to the behavior (Ajzen, 1991). TPB considers that importance of altruistic motives in guiding if individuals believe that people individuals‟ behavior (Kaiser et al., 1999). significantly approve or disapprove their Similarly, NAM ignores the role of both behavior, they are likely to engage in the volitional and non-volitional processes behavior (Conner and Armitage, 1998). A regarded as key aspects of TPB in shaping number of previous studies supported this behaviors (Han and Hyun, 2017). Under theoretical hypothesis (Safa et al., 2018; such circumstance, it seems that combining Shin et al., 2018). Overall, based on the the theories of TPB and NAM can provide a supporting evidence in the literature and clearer understanding of rural people‟s standard TPB assumptions, the following decision-making process for engaging in hypotheses were presented in this study PEBs and help to propose a more accurate (Figure 1): model. H1: The attitude toward PEBs significantly and positively affects the engagement in those behaviors. Theory of Planned Behavior H2: The PBC of engaging in PEBs significantly and positively affects the According to TPB, intent or readiness to engagement in those behaviors. act is the most important driver of behavior. H3: The SN of engaging in PEBs Furthermore, one‟s attitude toward behavior, significantly and positively affects the Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC), and engagement in those behaviors. Subjective Norm (SN) influence intention (Ajzen, 1991). Attitude reflects an individual‟s pleasant/unpleasant, Norm Activation Model beneficial/harmful, valuable/worthless, good/bad,