Is There a "Race" Effect on Concern for Environmental

Examined racial differences in environmental attitudes and suggests 3 explanations for understanding racial differences in environmental concern: (1) hierarchy of needs, (2) cultural differences, and (3) environmental deprivation. The first two predict that African Americans are less concerned about the environment than are Whites. The third predicts that African-Americans are more concerned than are Whites. Hypotheses about these explanations from a survey of 130 African-Americans and 629 Whites in the Detroit metropolitan area were tested. There was little evidence to support the theoretical explanations that predict African-Americans are less concerned about the environment than are Whites. To the contrary, there were few differences between African-Americans and Whites, even over the nature preservation issues about which African-Americans long have been thought to be unconcerned. Where significant differences existed, they were over local environmental problems, with African-Americans expressing substantially greater concern than did Whites. An analysis showed that racial differences in concern about such issues was a function of the disproportionate burden of environmental disamenities in African-American neighborhoods.