Youth and Environmental Action: Perspectives of Young Environmental Leaders on Their Formative

“Youth and Environmental Action: Perspectives of Young Environmental Leaders on Their Formative Influences”

Arnold, Heather E., Fay G. Cohen, and Alan Warner.

ABSTRACT: The authors conducted interview research with young environmental leaders to discover the past influences that they perceive have contributed to their current involvement in environmental action. In all, 12 young people participated in semistructured, in-depth interviews. They met clear criteria including positive environmental attitudes, behavior, initiative, and involvement in multiple spheres of action. The main self-identified influences on their environmental action were parents, experiences outdoors in childhood, friends, role models, teachers, and youth groups and conferences or gatherings. These results build on and extend previous research on significant life experiences of adult environmentalists and also deepen the understanding of the nature and combination of these influences with young people.

KEYWORDS: environmental action, significant life experiences, young environmental leaders, youth

The United Nations (1992) identified youths as key stakeholders regarding environmental issues, and many young people consider the health of the environment to be an important global issue (Corriero, 2004). Young people have more power and potential today to create change on global and local levels than they have had in any previous generation (Corriero). This increase is due both to the increased efforts at inclusion by decision makers who recognize the unique contributions of young people to discussions and decision making and to the ease of information exchange as a result of modern technology. Despite the documented importance of youth engagement (United Nations Environment Programme, 2003), there has been little research conducted on young people who are leaders in environmental action.

In the present qualitative study, we aimed to deepen understanding of how youth environmental leadership can effectively be promoted by exploring what a group of environmentally active youths consider to be important influences on their involvement. Youth as a stage of development is characterized by a process of integrating past experiences and current ideals into an evolving realization of self and identity (Erikson, 1968). Informed efforts to engage young people in environmental issues could have implications for their interest and involvement in environmental action throughout their lives.

Research on Significant Life Experiences and Youth

The results of the present study expand on the growing field of inquiry into significant life experiences (SLE) associated with proenvironmental attitudes and behavior. The goal of SLE research is to determine the sources of commitment to environmental action of environmentalists by asking them to recall the formative experiences that have led to their involvement (Chawla, 1999). Previous SLE researchers have focused on adults recounting experiences from their childhood and youth (Chawla; Palmer, 1993; Palmer, Suggate, Bajd, & Tsaliki, 1998; Tanner, 1980). We added the voices of environmental youth leaders to this discourse by investigating what influences these young people perceive as significant and why.

SLE researchers have found that environmental leaders attribute their involvement in environmental action to spending time in the outdoors; spending time with parents, family, teachers, or friends; reading books; or having negative experiences of environmental destruction (Chawla, 1998; Palmer, 1993; Tanner, 1980). The majority of the influences mentioned by SLE research participants developed during childhood or adolescence. Gough (1999) suggested that the experiences young people today consider influential may not be the same as those of adults from previous generations. Expanding the age range of SLE research may also help to discern the extent and manner to which youth as a life stage influences what participants perceive to be the most significant factors in their development.

Sivek (2002) conducted a youth study using groups and written questionnaires with environmentally sensitive high school students in Wisconsin. The results replicated the general trends noted in research on adults, identifying time spent in nature and the importance of role models, especially teachers and parents, as important influences. In the present study, we extended this work and addressed weaknesses in the literature (Chawla, 2006) by (a) broadly recruiting youths through multiple organizations rather than only through schools, (b) restricting interviews to those who have initiated environmental action, and (c) using an in-depth interview approach to deepen understanding of the nature and combination of their influences.

Defining Environmental Action

Emmons (1997) defined positive environmental action as “a deliberate strategy that involves decisions, planning, implementation, and reflection . . . to achieve a specific positive environmental outcome” (p. 35). It is important to understand what motivates individuals to move beyond behavior, which may be the result of habit or avoiding reprimand, to initiate action. The focus should be on how young people see themselves as becoming leaders (developing an action com-petence), choosing and initiating their own actions instead of responding with behavior change to the persuasions of others (Jensen & Schnack, 2006). Action creates change, whereas behavior may only perpetuate accepted norms.

Method

We defined a young environmental leader as an individual between the ages of 16 and 19 years (M = 17.25 years, SD = 0.75 years) who met four criteria: a positive attitude toward the environment, positive environmental behavior, initiative or leadership activity, and involvement in multiple spheres of action (Tanner, 1998). We recruited 12 youths from Nova Scotia, Canada, to take part in the present study in 2003-2004. We identified 9 participants by contacting several organizations working with young environmental leaders in Nova Scotia, including a community-based organization, an education center, a government program, an academic program, and a university student group. We identified 3 additional participants through the snowball technique (Sullivan, 2001) in which participants were asked to recommend other young people who met the criteria. We determined the participants as fitting the criteria by the individual who referred them, as well as by themselves. There were 10 female and 2 male participants from a mix of areas (see the Appendix). None of the participants could be categorized as economically disadvantaged.

Examples of participants’ actions included the following: organizing a cross-country bike tour to encourage sustainable living; volunteering to lead an environmental education (EE) program for children; initiating recycling, composting, and other environmental projects at school; initiating letter-writing campaigns and clean-up projects; and attending protests.

Each participant provided two in-depth interviews based on Seidman’s (1991) method. In the first interview, we focused on how and why each participant believed he or she became involved in environmental action. In the second interview, we discussed the participant’s current role as an environmental leader and its effect on the youth’s life.

We developed the interview structure and questions through a consultation with individuals who work with young environmental leaders in Nova Scotia and a review of the literature. The questions were open-ended, and each interview was directed by participants’ responses. When developing questions, we took into account criticisms of past SLE work to move beyond simply identifying formative factors and delve into how and why the participants felt the influences were noteworthy. Instead of accepting a claim that a particular teacher was influential, participants responded to how and why the teacher was influential and to cite examples. We modified the questions after conducting two pilot interviews.

Heather E. Arnold conducted the interviews, which did not follow exactly the same set of questions. Instead, the direction of an interview was determined by the participant’s responses to ensure that the participant shared in the direction and flow of the interview.

The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, and then hand-coded using themes that had emerged from the responses on the basis of grounded theory (Neuman, 2006). To increase credibility (Lincoln & Guba, 1985), we asked participants at the end of the first interview to consider whether their responses captured the important issues accurately, and this became the first topic for the second interview. We also asked them to reflect on the second interview responses at the end of that interview. Fay G. Cohen, Alan Warner, and an outside reviewer strengthened transferability, dependability, and confirmability by reviewing each stage of the research and analysis of the data (Lincoln & Guba).

Results

The 12 participants each had a different set of influences and interactions that they deemed significant to their development as environmental leaders (see the Appendix). The key factors mentioned were distinguished as (a) influential people-parents, role models, teachers, and friends-and (b) influential experiences-time spent outdoors and in youth groups, conferences, and gatherings. All of the participants traced formative influences through their childhood, and all but 1 noted a specific transformational person or set of experiences in adolescence that was key to setting them on the path to environmental leadership. This transformational factor was in every case quickly identified by the participants in response to the first major interview question, which asked them to “tell the story of why and how [they] became involved in environmental action.”
Parents

All of the participants spoke about their parents as being influential in their involvement, although none indicated that their parents were the one transformational factor. Rather, the parents’ roles were almost always formative in the participants’ lives from an early age. Parents were not seen as explicit teachers; rather, their roles varied from sharing environmental interests and values to being open but initially disinterested. Participant Ethan noted,

It was kind of like a learning process and just [having] open parents who would listen to me and make sure that I knew what I was talking about, and that in turn encouraged me to learn more and articulate it to them in a way that they felt was clear, and then they were totally supportive so that was really good.

Ethan went on to participate in an overseas youth volunteer program and help lead a cross-Canada bicycle trip to raise awareness of sustainability issues.

Participants whose parents exemplified sustainable living considered them to be acting not out of a desire to “save the earth,” but out of economic reasons or habit passed down by previous generations. Another participant, Anna, noted,

I think they were doing it [sustainable lifestyle choices] for economic reasons at the beginning and also because its like a way of life for my dad, and it just made more sense, like why would you go and buy [canned] vegetables at the store when you can make it.

Parental influence also related to participants’ spending time outdoors. This included gaining an appreciation through gardening and farming, enjoying outdoor recreation activities together, and experiencing an awakened sense of wonder. A participant named Helen spoke of her father:

He really instilled a love of living things in me. . . . When we would spend time together it would always be something where we were outside playing, or [he would say], look at this insect, isn’t this amazing. . . . He took me outside a lot, and he made me feel in awe of things.

Also, 4 participants said that their parents were significant in helping them develop critical thinking skills. Helen explained, “He always really taught me to think for myself, because I always had to form my own opinions about everything.” She has attended environmental conferences and spent some time in an eco-village and now channels her activism through writing to “reach peoples’ hearts, not just their heads.”

It is noteworthy that most parents were present in the young people’s lives, and relationship difficulties were not highlighted-suggesting that this sample was not reflective of the broader population in which parent-teen relationship challenges are frequently apparent.
Friends

Three quarters of the participants indicated that their friends and peers were significant to their involvement by introducing them to environmental clubs and projects, acting as examples, offering support, and being people with whom they could share experiences. Several participants said their friends’ involvement was important because experiences are more meaningful when there is sharing and affirmation from others.

For 2 participants (both male), the key transformational factor was friends. For a participant named Ben, it came as a challenge:

I had a close friend who was an environmentalist and I told her [that] I just don’t feel like I can do anything, and she essentially told me that I was full of shit and that I could . . . it was the right thing at the right time, it happened to hit me in the right place and got me thinking.

Ethan, another participant, felt that hanging out with musical friends who were speaking their minds through songwriting enabled him to first see a path to taking action: “The music that I was listening to a lot was about global citizenship, respect for animals, environment and other stuff.”

In all, 3 participants said the first time they ever took action was when a friend brought them to a protest or convinced them to get involved in a club. A participant named Laura said, “My best friend was involved. . . .We both had a really big interest in it, . . . so that was a big help.” Laura and her friend worked together to start an environment club in their school and also competed in a province-wide environmental competition. Other participants had established friendships through their environmental interests, with friends who subsequently encouraged and supported their involvement.
Role Models

Role models were mentioned as an important influence by 5 participants. When speaking about their role models, participants said they acted as examples and provided information, encouragement, and resources. Of these participants, 4 were older leaders in environmental or camp programs. For 1 participant, Chrissy, a youth group leader was the key transformational influence:

I was always getting myself into trouble and not always caring about the things that I knew deep down I cared about, and my mentor was talking about, she needed some volunteers to help protest to save [a wild area], so nobody would do it, I decided that since I had nothing else to do, I guess I might as well help her out . . . and it was really interesting to me and I just sort of branched out from there.

Another participant, Felicia, said that identifying with her role model made participation in action seem more attainable: “She has a deep-rooted love for the earth and I think that she really acts on it and influences other people, and she’s my age so that’s really cool.” Felicia’s role model was a coworker at an EE program for children. Her role model influenced her to continue her involvement in the program and adopt environmentally responsible behaviors, including bringing plastic containers to restaurants instead of taking home leftovers in Styrofoam containers.
Teachers

In all, 5 participants named a teacher as an influence. Teachers played a role through raising awareness about issues, acting as an example of sustainable living, encouraging students to make environmentally friendly choices, and encouraging and supporting action taken by students. In the classroom, some teachers made an impact through the material they presented and the passion and energy with which they delivered their messages. Participant Karen explained how her teacher was transformational for her:

In Grade 7 and 8 [I had] Miss B., she’s an activist. . . . I had her for geography. . . . She just really inspired me . . . the year I started the global awareness group. . . . she just told me all of these things that I never knew were affecting the environment so much. That year, I became a vegetarian, largely because of what she was teaching us, and she just really influenced me, really strongly.

Karen ran a global awareness group in her school and also organized the creation of an organic garden on the school grounds with the help of Miss B. Karen is currently a member of a national youth roundtable on the environment and plans to study environmental science in college.
Time Spent Outdoors

Time spent in nature was the other influence mentioned in every interview. Outdoor experiences fell into two categories: (a) an intense immersion experience in the natural world or outdoor camp program, typically beginning in late childhood, and (b) an unstructured and habitual contact with nature through play beginning early in childhood. When speaking about a wilderness canoe trip, a participant named Anna related those significant experiences to her development of a caring ethic toward the Earth. She said, “I only became really passionate and really committed to make a difference in my life when I went out and was really moved by the environment.” Her experiences in the wilderness influenced her to take action to protect those lands:

Having such a powerful experience with the land up north and then it being logged made me more passionate about protecting it and wanting to make sure that other people can have the same experience up there that I’ve had.