The Understanding of Environmental Citizenship among Malaysian Youths: A Study on Perception and Participation

Over the past years, there have been great concerns over the global environmental issues. Human activities have contributed towards climate changes that are affecting the world. The rise of temperature has been noticeable and this strengthens the arguments of the greenhouse effect. Among the environmental concerns include carbon dioxide emissions by transportation, deforestation, open burning, excessive waste, river pollution and etc. These issues have raised the global need for environmental citizenship. It is a form of citizenship that prioritizes and emphasizes the importance of the environment and one that crosses the national territorial borders. It stresses the need to have citizens who inhibit greater awareness of the environment and try to maintain and preserve the earth by participating in ‘green’ activities and saving the earth. This research aimed at exploring the awareness, understanding, perception and participation of Malaysian youth with regards to environmental citizenship. Six focus groups were conducted within Klang Valley with each group comprising of 5-6 people. The informants consisted of Malay, Chinese and Indian youths between the age of 18-25. The questions were focused on the general and technical understanding of environmental issues, the sources of information on the environment and the role that these individuals and the community have played as environmental citizens.

[1]  A. Scerri.  Paradoxes of increased individuation and public awareness of environmental issues , 2009 .

[2]  T. H. Marshall,et al.  Citizenship and Social Class , 1987 .

[3]  M. Bloor,et al.  Focus Groups in Social Research , 2000 .

[4]  Fakhru'l-Razi Ahmadun,et al.  Environmental concerns, knowledge and practices gap among Malaysian teachers , 2003 .

[5]  J. M. Hines,et al.  Analysis and synthesis of research on responsible environmental behavior: A meta-analysis. , 1987 .

[6]  James Blake.  Overcoming the ‘value‐action gap’ in environmental policy: Tensions between national policy and local experience , 1999 .

[7]  K. Watkins.  Human Development Report 2007/2008: fighting climate change , 2007 .

[8]  N. Das.  Human Development Report 2007/2008 Fighting Climate Change: Human Solidarity in a Divided World, UNDP, New York , 2009 .

[9]  Alan Warner,et al.  Youth and Environmental Action: Perspectives of Young Environmental Leaders on Their Formative Influences , 2009 .

[10]  Fiona Clark,et al.  Mass communication and public understanding of environmental problems: the case of global warming , 2000 .

[11]  J. Ritchie,et al.  Qualitative Research Practice: A Guide for Social Science Students and Researchers , 2013 .

[12]  D. Bell.  Liberal Environmental Citizenship , 2005 .

[13]  Lilia Halim,et al.  Environmental citizenship: What level of knowledge, attitude, skill and participation the students own? , 2010 .

[14]  A. Kollmuss,et al.  Mind the Gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior? , 2002 .

[15]  M. Ashley.  Behaviour Change and Environmental Citizenship: A case for spiritual development? , 2000 .

[16]  Andrew Dobson,et al.  Citizenship and the environment , 2003 .