GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTALISM - A CHALLENGE TO THE POSTMATERIALISM THESIS

This paper challenges the conventional wisdom that people in developin g countries lack environmental values, a commonly accepted view which has also derived theoretical support from Inglehart's ''postmaterialis t values'' thesis. The authors analyze two types of new evidence-the p roliferation of Third World grass roots environmental organizations an d recent cross-national opinion surveys-neither of which supports the conventional wisdom. They argue that concern for the environment is no t simply a product of a postmaterialist cultural shift, and they propo se five alternative possible explanations for environmentalism in poor countries.