Examining the role of individual variables in the relationship between social capital and environmental behaviors of citizens of Jam city

Subject Areas : Sustainable urban development

Mohammad javad Yamini ¹ , Golamreza Jafarinia ²

1 - Islamic Azad University, bushehr, Iran
2 - Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, Bushehr Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran

Received: 2022-06-01 Accepted : 2022-10-26 Published : 2023-04-21

Keywords: individual variables, environmental behaviors, : social capital, Jam County,

Abstract :

Examining the role of individual variables in the relationship between social capital and environmental behaviors of citizens of Jam city     Abstract       The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of individual variables in the relationship between social capital and environmental behaviors of citizens of Jam city. This research is descriptive and correlational in terms of applied purpose and in terms of data collection. The statistical population included all citizens over 18 years of age in Jam city. The sample size was 397 people randomly selected based on Morgan table. The tools used in this research are standard environmental behavior questionnaires (Zare Shahabadi and colleagues, 2017), social capital (Gorji Karsami, 2016). Smart PLS 2 statistical software was used to analyze the data. The results showed that in the relationship between the dimensions of social capital and environmental behaviors of citizens, individual variables have a moderating role. Also, the results showed that the relationship between the dimensions of social capital, ie social interaction, social trust, social participation and environmental behaviors. Environmental, positive and meaningful.Extended AbstractIntroduction:     In today's advanced society, organizations need compassionate and responsible forces in order to improve their level and achieve their goals, which sometimes go beyond the goals and aspirations of the organization and behave beyond their duties. Voluntary, and beneficial efforts today are referred to as citizen-centered behaviors or environmental behaviors. The relationship between the environment and social capital is one of the new topics that has been considered by environmental researchers. Environmental protection is an essential issue for sustainable development, and its enforcement power is largely due to individual environmental protection behavior (Fangshe, 2021:1). Researchers believe that the levels of social capital have a significant effect on environmental behaviors and environmental protection, and environmental behaviors of individuals and their desire to preserve the environment depend on personality, status and social capacities in society (Azadkhani et al, 2020:1). Jam city with a rich historical and cultural background and people of different Iranian ethnicities, is located in the south of Bushehr province and due to its environmental characteristics and natural attractions can be an important tourism hub in the region with scientific management and planning.This city differs from other cities in the province in terms of climate due to its mountainous nature, distance from the sea and suitable altitude, and unlike other cities, it has a milder climate. Unfortunately, Jam city today has problems such as air pollution (caused by Fajr ­jam Gas Refining Company, Nar and Kangan­ operations area, gas pressure boosting station, Ghadir repair yard, crushers and asphalt factory), river floods, floods and so on. Such dumping of waste has occurred in villages and natural areas and has found a vulnerable structure. Given the above, the importance of research in this area seems necessary. This study seeks to determine whether individual variables in the relationship between social capital and environmental behaviors of citizens of Jam city play a moderating role? Methodology:      This research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive and correlational in terms of data collection. In order to collect research data, a questionnaire was also used. The questions of the questionnaire were of the five-choice Likert scale (very little to very much) and were distributed to the respondents in person. The statistical population consists of people over 18 years old living in Jam city, according to Morgan's table, the sample number was 397 people. Questionnaires will be distributed randomly among citizens over 18 years of age. The tools used in this research are standard environmental behavior questionnaires (Zare Shahabadi and colleagues, 2017), social capital (Gorji Karsami, 2016). Due to the standardization of the questionnaires, its validity and reliability were examined using factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha, and all of them were confirmed. In this research, the individual variables of gender, occupation and level of education were considered.Results and discussion:       After implementing the PLS algorithm, each path coefficient in the PLS structural model can be considered equivalent to a standardized beta coefficient in regression or correlation coefficient of two structures. Structural paths whose sign agrees with the algebraic sign of the previous hypotheses provide empirical validity to theoretical assumptions about the relationships between latent variables. Positive path coefficients indicate positive effects and negative path coefficients indicate negative effects. Coefficients should be greater than 0.6 and values ​​less than 0.4 should be considered inappropriate and should be removed from the set of indicators. Also, the significance of path coefficients is determined by statistical t. In this way, the values ​​must be out of range (1.96, -0.96). The results are shown in Figures 3, 2 and 4. The results of the analysis for the moderating role of this hypothesis show a path coefficient of 0.163 and a statistical t of 2.938 (greater than 1.96) and an effect intensity of 0.05, therefore It can be said with 95% confidence that individual variables play a moderating role in the relationship between social capital and environmental behaviors of the citizens of Jam city. Considering the path coefficient of 0.408 and statistical t shows 34,000 (more than 1.96), so with 0.95 confidence we can say that there is a significant relationship between social interaction and environmental behaviors of citizens of Jam city and This type of relationship is direct and positive. According to the path coefficient of 0.405 and statistical t shows 32.717 (more than 1.96), so with 0.95 confidence we can say that there is a significant relationship between social trust and environmental behaviors of citizens of Jam city and the type This is a direct and positive relationship. According to the path coefficient of 0.288 and statistical t shows 20.861 (more than 1.96), so with 0.95 confidence we can say that there is a significant relationship between social participation and environmental behaviors of citizens of Jam city. And the type of this relationship is direct and positive.Conclusion:      As the results of the study showed and confirmed, individual variables such as gender, education and occupation have a moderating role in the relationship between social capital and environmental behaviors, that is, they strengthen or reduce it. Social participation is an important issue that is being addressed these days. Therefore, the higher the social participation of individuals, the greater the impact on their environmental behaviors. In other words, there is a direct relationship between social participation and environmental behaviors. The higher the social participation of individuals, the higher their environmental behaviors will be. Social participation is a very important dimension of social capital that is created or strengthened by social trust and social interactions. The results obtained for this hypothesis are in line with the results of Van and Doo (2022), Feng Shu et al. (2021), Ongelinas & Jones (2019), Azad­khani et al. (1399), Gholami et al. (1399). By considering individual variables and paying more attention to them, city managers can take action to protect the environment and also create and promote positive environmental behaviors among citizens. By creating more trust between themselves and the people, as well as involving people in social activities, city and country managers can provide the ground for the participation of as many people in the community as possible. It is suggested that a study be conducted on the subject of environmental activities among different strata and classes of society and the effects they can have on other people in society. Also identify educational programs for environmental education of future generations and children and adolescents.

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