ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AMONG LOCAL CITIZENS - A TEST OF COMPETING PERSPECTIVES

The social-locational perspective on environmental concern has relied on traditional demographic variables to account for citizen positions. Young, educated, liberal urbanites or the 'new middle class'' have be en considered most environmentally minded. Some studies, however, sugg est a different perspective. Attitudinal variables concerning concrete issues, especially political alienation and risk perceptions, have be en proposed as more important stimulants of environmentalism. We incor porate the two perspectives into a single design which examines citize n positions on a proposed nuclear waste facility in a western New York locality. Our findings cast doubt on the social-locational perspectiv e but confirm the notion that feelings of alienation and perceptions o f risk are key determinants of environmental concern. We conclude with implications for theory and policymaking.