Concern about toxic wastes: Three demographic predictors
Abstract
Campaigns against toxic waste problems are emerging as a grass-roots social movement in hundreds of American communities. This article examines survey data from two such communities (Acton, Massachusetts, and Williamstown, Vermont), which have recently experienced problems with toxic waste contamination. Multivariate log-linear analyses indicate that concern about contamination problems is highest among younger respondents, among women, and among those who have children under 18. These basic conclusions are found to be robust across different model specifications, different estimation strategies, and across a wide variety of specific issues and measures for toxic-waste concern in three different communities. The findings provide insight into the intensity of opposition to toxic wastes, differences between toxic wastes and many other environmental issues, and the difference in perspective between local citizens' groups and the corporate and government officals with whom they must deal.
Department
Sociology
Publication Date
10-1-1985
Journal Title
Sociological Perspectives
Publisher
Sage
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Document Type
Article
Recommended Citation
Hamilton, L.C. 1985. “Concern about toxic wastes: Three demographic predictors.” SociologicalPerspectives 26(4):355–374.
Rights
Copyright © 1985 Pacific Sociological Association