University of Michigan.
Soc Sci Res. 2010 May 1;39(3):357-68. doi: 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2010.01.001.
This paper presents a new theoretical framework for the study of environmental consumption at the micro-level by building on concepts from classical sociological theory and recent macro-level studies of the environment. The framework emphasizes the local community context as an important determinant of environmental consumption. We test this framework with unique micro-level data on consumption, household size, household affluence, and community context from Nepal, a setting in the midst of dramatic change in community organization, population size, and consumption behavior. The results of these tests are consistent with the hypothesis that local nonfamily organizations shift the consumption of environmental resources from direct to more indirect. We argue that the framework presented here is a useful early step toward more comprehensive micro-level models of environmental quality.
本文通过借鉴经典社会学理论和近期环境宏观研究中的概念，为微观层面的环境消费研究提出了一个新的理论框架。该框架强调了地方社区背景作为环境消费的一个重要决定因素。我们利用尼泊尔独特的微观层面消费数据、家庭规模、家庭富裕程度以及社区背景数据对此框架进行了检验，尼泊尔正处于社区组织、人口规模和消费行为急剧变化的过程中。这些检验的结果与这样一个假设一致，即地方非家庭组织将环境资源的消费从直接消费转变为更间接的消费。我们认为，本文提出的框架是迈向更全面的微观层面环境质量模型的一个有用的早期步骤。
