Low-income people and pro-environmental behavior

Abstract

Introduction: Poverty and environmental problems are two major concerns humanity is facing in its pursuit for a better quality of life. Objetive: Relate, from a perspective of psychology and environmental management, poverty with the pro-environmental behavior of low-income people. Methods: A literature review was carried out. The search for articles to be reviewed considered three main criteria: 1. the articles are related to a certain kind of pro-environmental behavior in a specific context, and have an environmental management approach; 2. low-income people are the central focus of the research, not just another sociodemographic aspect; 3. the articles are based on one of the two main psychological theories applied to environmental management and pro-environmental behavior, Social Cognitive Theory and Theory of Planned Behavior. Results: The eleven articles analyzed share the conclusion that psychological factors – especially self-efficacy – contribute to a better understanding of the possibilities and impediments for low-income people to practice pro-environmental behavior. Conclusion: These articles go beyond the obvious income-related analysis that limits the problematic to a money/income issue. They significantly contribute to the improvement of environmental management and policies that are able to include low-income people in the common effort to preserve nature.

Keywords

• low-income
• pro-environmental behavior