Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Natural Resources
First Advisor
Rachelle K. Gould
Abstract
Sustainable relationships among social and natural systems are predicated, in part, on values. The four studies that make up this dissertation are linked by their investigations of the diverse ways that communities value the natural environment and how their values ultimately interact with attitudes and action.
In my first study, I characterize the attitudes of members of the US public towards the relationship between the environment and economy. Using conceptual framing adapted from ecological economics, I determine whether people view the environment and economy as being in opposition or in concert with one another. I find that exposure to extreme, climate-related events predicts alignment with survey items that illustrate the economy as a dependent subset of the environment, even in light of strong political polarization. My second study reviews empirical literature featuring the relational values concept. I summarize the ways in which authors have operationalized a concept with philosophical roots in diverse research contexts and propose ways to promote cohesion in future work. My third and fourth studies focus on maple syrup-producing forests in Vermont to investigate interactions among financial costs, relational values, and biodiversity “friendly” forest management actions. Study three compares annual costs across varied engagement with forest management; I find that enrollment in conservation programming predicts management engagement, but costs do not. Study four investigates the impact of relational values on forest management actions. I find that maple syrup producers express distinct prioritizations of relational values, and that sustainability-aligned forest management actions are considered differently across value prioritizations.
This interdisciplinary collection of scholarship provides empirical evidence relevant to regional conservation partners and contributes to broad literatures interested in the complex relationships among diverse values, environmental sustainability, and human behavior.
Language
en
Number of Pages
218 p.
Recommended Citation
Pratson, Daniel Francis, "Investigating Multiple Value Types And Their Relation To Environmental Behavior and Attitudes" (2025). Graduate College Dissertations and Theses. 2006.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/2006