To What Extent Can Social Surveys Be Used to Investigate Environmental Attitudes and Actions?
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Course
Environmental Science
Institution
University Of Southampton (UOS)
Social Surveys are very beneficial when it comes to investigating environmental attitudes and actions taken. When using a closed-question survey, the result show that people around the University of Southampton have high knowledge about environmental concerns, however their actions such as using re...
To What Extent Can Social Surveys Be Used to Investigate Environmental Attitudes and
Actions?
Abstract:
Social Surveys are very beneficial when it comes to investigating environmental attitudes and actions
taken. When using a closed-question survey, the result show that people around the University of
Southampton have high knowledge about environmental concerns, however their actions such as
using reusable products, are shown as moderate use. Compared to the 2018 results of the same
questionnaire, the amount of Blue Planet viewers decreased, and the amount of people using the
reusable products decreased dramatically, most people answering, “when I remember”. Due to the
questions being closed, there is only a moderate amount of information which can be received from
this survey. Opinion based questions could allow more action to be taken, and hence the societies
interests on the environment will increase in the questionnaire if the questions asked are more
personal. The questions are of high importance, as asking the correct questions can influence the
answers- as well as ensuring the atmosphere is appropriate for the type of questionnaire.
Introduction:
Social surveys can be very useful in researching areas of study, due to the vast amount of opinions
which can be obtained from a short questionnaire. A survey in 2007 argued that most people claim
being ‘green; is now socially acceptable etiquette (Eccleston. P, 2007). This can be seen due to the
rising popularity of questionnaires and increase in technology, questionnaires have become quick,
easy and accessible. Social surveys hold a high importance in the area of environmental science, due
to the public awareness needed to ensure action takes place. The environment isn’t a pressing concern
for most of the society, due to the links with economy and other aspects of life, however a large
fraction believes action needs to be taken to help decrease global warming (Curry. T. E, et al, 2005).
Public participation is a vital part of the rise of environmental education in the world, which can be
seen through Greta Thunberg’s actions. Social surveys can help scholars publish journals and increase
the knowledge of environmental science. Additionally, social surveys can help monitor certain issues.
Knowing these statistics can help the scholars pinpoint their focus on grey areas- and hence increase
the environmental knowledge within society. Surveys consist of open or closed questions- which both
have their merits and disadvantages. Interviews are more personal and can be used for higher levels of
accuracy and precision with the question answers.
Methods:
We carry out social surveys to hold a research strategy by which the information is systematically
collected and sorted. The method of the survey is very important due to the nature of the survey
needing to reflect the audience and the questions answered. The interviewer needs to be clear about
the meaning of individual environmental concerns, with clarification of wording to ensure they know
how to answer (Rigotti. S, 2010). A risk assessment is also a needed area for a survey, due to the
interaction with the public. After determining the questions, you need to ask for the areas of your
report to ensure you hold answers of varying opinions; such as “strongly agree”, “agree”, etc. Due to
the most popular survey being closed questionnaires, the most amount of detail you’ll get is out of
their marked answer, and hence giving them a large variety of answers will ensure your results are as
accurate as possible. After, sending it through email to students, or in person to the public, are both
effective ways of collecting information. After the data is collected, statistical tests should be carried
out to review the data and show the results. This determines the answers to the research questions and
shows clear conclusions. SPSS or Excel can be used to show graphs or means of the data. Important
considerations include the anonymity of the respondent and the question sequence- it should flow and
start with factual, leading onto the attitudinal responses. The length of the survey is also of high
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