University Youth Attitudes Towards Environmental Citizenship ( A Field Study in Beni -Suef University )

Research Abstract

Abstract This study aims to identify the concepts of Beni Suef University students about the environmental citizenship, and to find out how far the environmental citizenship is deeply rooted among the university students through awareness, behavior, and practice. Beside the previous main objective, a set of the following sub-objectives have emerged :  Identifying the level of awareness of Beni Suef University students about environmental citizenship.  Comparing between the concepts of Beni Suef University students about environmental citizenship, according to the gender, grade, and the type of study at the faculty (theoretical-practical).  Discovering the most important and prominent aspects of environmental citizenship that Beni Suef University students have.  Finding out how the environmental citizenship level that Beni Suef University students have is correlated to facing the environmental problems in their societies.  Telling about the role of Beni Suef University in instilling the concept of environmental citizenship among their students.  Clarifying how many activities community services and environmental development centers have at the faculties and how they participate in increasing the level of awareness about environmental citizenship for students. To achieve these objectives, the study depends on the social survey method by sampling, and uses the questionnaire as a tool to collect data, in which it has been designed according to the study’s objectives and main questions. The questions are based on Likert scale, and the study is applied on a random sample of Beni Suef University students, for theoretical and practical faculties, with (566 single samples). This study is based –as theoretical directives- on the following two theories : the symbolic interactionism and Beck's theory of global environmental risks, in addition to the overall theoretical heritage of environmental sociology. After conducting statistical treatment, the study has yielded a set of results, the most important of which are : • The level of environmental citizenship is average in three aspects (environmental culture - environmental activities support - environmental volunteering), while the level has come high in one aspect (responsible environmental behavior). • It becomes clear that there are no statistically significant differences, with the attitude of three aspects of environmental citizenship (environmental culture - environmental activities support - responsible environmental behavior), among the study sample according to the gender variable. Yet the study results have found out statistically significant differences in the attitude aspect of environmental volunteering for environmental citizenship among the study sample, in favor of males. • The absence of statistically significant differences in the attitude with two aspects of environmental citizenship (environmental culture - responsible environmental behavior), among the study sample according to the type of study at the faculty, while the study results have found out statistically significant differences in the attitude with two aspects (environmental volunteering - environmental activities support) for environmental citizenship among the study sample, in favor of theoretical faculties. • The absence of statistically significant differences in the attitude with three aspects of environmental citizenship (environmental culture - environmental activities support - responsible environmental behavior), among the study sample according to the grade. Yet the study results have found out statistically significant differences in the attitude aspect of environmental volunteering for environmental citizenship, among the study sample according to the grade, in favor of the fifth grade students. • The study results indicate that the rate of proposals of Beni Suef University students to reduce contemporary environmental problems is high. • There is a strong correlation between the two aspects of environmental culture and the responsible environmental behavior for environmental citizenship and facing the recent environmental problems among Beni Suef University students, while there is no correlation between the two aspects of environmental activities support and environmental volunteering for environmental citizenship and facing the recent environmental problems among the sample members. • Eventually, the study results have concluded that the degree of the role of Beni Suef University, community service and environmental development centers, and their activity at the faculties in instilling the concept of environmental citizenship among students is average.

Research Keywords

University Youth Attitudes Towards Environmental Citizenship ( A Field Study in Beni -Suef University )