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Download fileExploring cultural differences in wildlife value orientations using student samples in seven nations
journal contribution
posted on 2022-01-01, 00:00 authored by M H Jacobs, S Dubois, T Hosaka, V Ladanović, H F M Muslim, Kelly MillerKelly Miller, S Numata, E Ranaweerage, T M Straka, Mike WestonMike Weston, Z A Z AbidinAbstractUnderstanding differences in the way people think about wildlife across countries is important as many conservation challenges transcend jurisdictions. We explored differences in wildlife value orientations in seven countries: Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands and Serbia. Standard scales assessed domination (prioritizing human well-being) and mutualism (striving for egalitarian relationships with wildlife). We used student samples (total n = 2176) for cross-cultural comparisons. Reliabilities of the wildlife value orientations scales were adequate in all countries. Relationships between demographics and wildlife value orientations were different across countries. Men were generally more oriented towards domination and less towards mutualism than women, except in Serbia, where it was the other way around. Estimated at the level of the individual (using ANOVA), wildlife value orientations varied across countries, with nationality explaining a larger portion of the variation in mutualism (21%) than domination (6%). Estimated at the level of countries (using multilevel modelling), effect sizes were comparable. Thought about wildlife has previously only been examined within single countries. This paper makes a new contribution to the conservation literature suggesting that wildlife value orientations vary by country, and are associated with demographic factors. For conservation practices, understanding national differences in the way people think about wildlife is crucial to understanding sources of conflict among practitioners. Such knowledge is also important to gain public support for conservation.
History
Journal
Biodiversity and ConservationPagination
1 - 21Publisher
SpringerLocation
Berlin, GermanyPublisher DOI
Link to full text
ISSN
0960-3115eISSN
1572-9710Language
EnglishPublication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalUsage metrics
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Categories
Keywords
ACCEPTABILITYBiodiversity & ConservationBiodiversity ConservationCONSERVATIONCross-national researchDemographicsDominationEcologyEnvironmental SciencesEnvironmental Sciences & EcologyHuman-wildlife relationshipsLARGE CARNIVORELETHAL CONTROLLife Sciences & BiomedicineMutualismPERCEPTIONSPERSISTENCEPSYCHOLOGYScience & TechnologyWOLVES