Journal of Iranian Social Studies

Reasons for Citizens' Indifference toward Environmental Crises and Its Consequences on Sustainable Development as Seen by Academics

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mahmoudreza Rahbarqazi 1
Zahra Sadeghi Naghdali 2

1 Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

2 Department of Political Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/jss.2025.2043574.1869
Abstract
This paper aims at understanding reasons for indifference and passivity of the most of Iranians, toward environmental problems, through the eyes of the academics. To find the answer the paper tries to identify and analyze causal, contextual, and intervening conditions that work as obstacles to meaningful participation in environmental policies in the country. Furthermore, the article introduces strategies for tackling the problem. As far as research method is concerned the data have been gathered by in-depth interviews with 24 noble academics, and analyzed by Straus and Corbin approach for developing a grounded theory. Findings include lack of public awareness, lack of promotion of responsibility culture, defects in policymaking, shortage of law enforcement, and inefficient interaction between the government and civil society. Contextual factors include institutionalized distrust, rapid social and economic transformations, lack of environmental knowledge development, and socioeconomic disparities. Intervening factors include variables like international interventions regarding the environment, media role in shaping attitudes related to the environment, and technological shift in practices of environmental concern, which through their interaction greatly affect the citizen's apathy. Findings also reveal that dividing citizens` strategies into acceptance/resistance, their indifference toward environmental issues may have three types of impacts on sustainable development: negative, mixed, and positive.
 

Keywords

environmental indifference
environmental policies
citizen passivity
sustainable development
grounded theory
Ajzen, I. (1991). “The Theory of Planned Behavior”. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Ariza, M. R., Boeve-de Pauw, J., Olsson, D., Van Petegem, P., Parra, G., & Gericke, N. (2021). “Promoting environmental citizenship in education: The potential of the sustainability consciousness questionnaire to measure impact of interventions”. Sustainability, 13(20), 11420.
Bandura, A., & Wessels, S. (1997). “Self-efficacy”. (pp. 4-6). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Creswell, J. W., Poth, C. N. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing Among Five Approaches. United States: SAGE Publications.
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2012). “Self-determination theory”. Handbook of theories of social psychology, 1(20), 416-436.
Fairbrother, M. (2022). “Public opinion about climate policies: A review and call for more studies of what people want”. PLoS Climate, 1(5), e0000030.
Festinger, L. (1962). A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance. United Kingdom: Stanford University Press.
Gifford, R. (2011). “The dragons of inaction: psychological barriers that limit climate change mitigation and adaptation”. American psychologist, 66(4), 290.
Hardin, G. (1968). “The tragedy of the commons: the population problem has no technical solution; it requires a fundamental extension in morality”. Science, 162(3859), 1243-1248.
Jones, R. E., & Dunlap, R. E. (1992). “The social bases of environmental concern: Have they changed over time?”, Rural sociology, 57(1), 28-47.
Katz, D., Kahn, R. L. (1978). The Social Psychology of Organizations. Singapore: Wiley.
Khatibi, F. S., Dedekorkut-Howes, A., Howes, M., & Torabi, E. (2021). “Can public awareness, knowledge and engagement improve climate change adaptation policies?”. Discover Sustainability, 2, 1-24.
Meadows, D., & Randers, J. (2012). The limits to growth: the 30-year update. Routledge.
Mitchell, M. (2009). Complexity: A Guided Tour. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Robert, K. W., Parris, T. M., & Leiserowitz, A. A. (2005). “What is sustainable development? Goals, indicators, values, and practice”. Environment: science and policy for sustainable development, 47(3), 8-21.
Seeman, M. (1959). “On the Meaning of Alienation”. American Sociological Review, 24(6), 783-791.
Strauss, A. L., Corbin, J. M. (1997). Grounded Theory in Practice. India: SAGE Publications.
Toffler, A. (2022). Future Shock. United States: Random House Publishing Group.
Walker, G. (2012). Environmental Justice: Concepts, Evidence and Politics. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.
Thompson, S. C. G., & Barton, M. A. (1994). “Ecocentric and anthropocentric attitudes toward the environment”. Journal of environmental Psychology, 14(2), 149-157.
Journal of Iranian Social Studies
Volume 18, Issue 4
Winter 2025
Pages 5-30

  • Receive Date 05 November 2024
  • Revise Date 06 October 2025
  • Accept Date 19 September 2025
  • First Publish Date 19 September 2025
  • Publish Date 19 February 2025

Home

Submit Manuscript

Reviewers

Contact Us