Cultivating nature: environmental gardening identity and home gardening practices

Term

2008

Capstone

Thesis

Degree Name

MAED: NSEE

Abstract

The investigation examined whether an individual's environmental identity and environmental gardening identity influenced residential gardening practices. Data were collected from a random sample of urban-suburban gardeners using a standardized environmental identity scale, a new scale instrument designed to measure environmental gardening identity, and multiple-choice questions concerned with gardening practices. The results showed that people possessing a stronger environmental identification with the natural world also possessed a stronger identification with nature in the garden and were more likely to use ecologically sound gardening methods. Findings indicated respondents' reasons to have a garden were linked to the strength of both an environmental identity and an environmental gardening identity. Findings further suggest that environmental identity and environmental gardening identity, as well as gardening behaviors, are positively linked to respondents' endorsement of world religion positions on human care of the environment.

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