The Effects of Valued-cultural Orientations and Environmental Concern on Soil Conservation Behavior of Farmers: Case of villages in Miandoab County

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

2 Assistant professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zabol, Zabol, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

The main purpose of present study was to investigate the effects of valued-cultural orientations (fatalistic, individualistic, egalitarian, and hierarchical) and environmental concern on farmers' soil conservation behavior. Present study is an applied research which was carried out though a cross-sectional survey. The statistical population under the study was the villages of Miandoab County (N= 22750) from which 378 farmers were selected as a sample using Krejcie and Morgan sampling table. A multi-stage stratified random sampling method was employed in order to select the samples. Research tool was a questionnaire which its validity confirmed by a panel of academic experts. A pilot test and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were used to examine the reliability of the questionnaire (0.73≤α≤0.91). The results revealed that environmental concern towards soil conservation had significant positive effect on soil conservation behavior of farmers. Moreover, egalitarian and hierarchical value orientations towards soil conservation had also significant and positive effects on environmental concern towards soil conservation. However, individualistic and fatalistic value orientations towards soil conservation had significant and negative effects on environmental concern towards soil conservation. The results revealed that independent variables within the framework could account for 42.5 % of variance change in dependent variable (soil conservation behavior).

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Abbasian, A. R., Chizari, M., Bijani, M. (2017). Farmers’ Views on the Factors Inhibiting the Implementation of Soil Conservation Practices (The Case of Koohdasht Township, Iran). Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology (JAST), 19 (4), 797-807.
Agheli-e kohneshari, L., Sadeghi, H. (2005). [Estimating the Economic Impacts of Soil Erosion in Iran (Persian)]. Quarterly Journal of the Economic Research, (15), 87-100.
Agricultural Jihad Organization of West Azerbaijan Province. (2018). Agricultural soils of West Azerbaijan Province. (Unpublished report).
Bijani, M., Ghazani, E., Valizadeh, N., Haghighi, N. F. (2017). [Pro-Environmental Analysis of Farmers' Concerns and Behaviors towards Soil Conservation in Central District of Sari County, Iran]. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 5(1), 43-49.
Bijani, M., Hayati, D. (2013). [Application of Environmental Attitudes toward Analyzing Water Conflict: The Case of Doroodzan Dam Irrigation Network (Persian)]. Agricultural Extension and Education Journal, 9(1), 83-102.
Fazeli, M., Jafar-Salehi, S. (2013). [Attitude, Knowledge, and Environmental Behavior Gap of Tourists (Persian)]. Tourism Management Studies, 7 (22), 137-161.
Ghazani, E., Bijani, M. (2016). [Application of Environmental Attitudes towards Analyzing Farmers’ Pro-Environmental Behavior in order to Soil Conservation (The Case of Rice Farmers in the Central Part of Sari Township) (Persian)]. Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economic and Development Research. 2-47 (1), 81-91.
Iran Soil Science Association. (2018). Soils of West Azerbaijan Province. (Unpublished report).
Ives, C. D., Kendal, D. (2014). [The Role of Social Values in the Management of Ecological Systems]. Journal of Environmental Management, 144, 67-72.
Jara-Rojas, R., Bravo-Ureta, B. E., Engler, A., Díaz, J. (2013). [An Analysis of the Joint Adoption of Water Conservation and Soil Conservation in Central Chile]. Land Use Policy, 32, 292-301.
Kollmuss, A., Agyeman, J. (2002). [Mind the Gap: Why Do People Act Environmentally and What are the Barriers to Pro-Environmental Behavior?]. Environmental Education Research, 8(3), 239-260.
Krejcie, R. V., Morgan, D. W. (1970). [Determining Sample Size for Research Activities]. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 30(3), 607-610.
Mahboobi, M., Sepehrara, M., (2013). [Farmers' professional ethics toward soil conservation (Persian)]. Journal of Ethics in Science and Technology, 8 (3), 25-35.
Rouhani, B. (2013). [Soil Protection Becomes Legal in Iran (Persian)]. Journal of Food Knowledge and Agriculture, 11 (104), 22-2.
Seifi, R. (2016). Application of cultural approach to analyze soil conservation behavior of farmers in West Azerbaijan Province. M. Sc. Thesis. College of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University.
Seifi, R., Chizari, M., Abbasi, E. (2018). [Factors Affecting Framers’ Soil Conservation Behavior in West Azerbaijan Province: A Cultural Approach (Persian)]. Agricultural Extension and Education Journal, 13 (2), 2019-234.
Stern, P. C., Dietz, T. (1994). [The value basis of environmental concern]. Journal of Social Issues, 50(3), 65-84.
Thompson, M., (2008). Organising and Disorganising: A Dynamic and Non-linear Theory of Institutional Emergence and Its Implications. Triarchy Press, Axminster.
Valizadeh, N., Bijani, M., Abbasi, E. (2016a). [An Environmental Psychological Analysis of Farmers' Participatory-Oriented Behavior toward Water Conservation in the Catchment Area of Lake Urmia (Persian)]. Iran-Water Resources Research, 13 (4), 17-27.
Valizadeh, N., Bijani, M., Abbasi, E. (2016b). [Pro-Environmental Analysis of Farmers' Participatory Behavior toward Conservation of Surface Water Resources in Southern Sector of Urmia Lake’s Catchment Area (Persian)]. Iranian Agricultural Extension and Education Journal. 11(2), 183-201.
Vignola, R., Koellner, T., Scholz, R. W., McDaniels, T. L. (2010). [Decision-making by Farmers regarding Ecosystem Services: Factors Affecting Soil Conservation Efforts in Costa Rica]. Land Use Policy, 27(4), 1132-1142.
Willy, D. K., Zhunusova, E., Holm-Müller, K. (2014). [Estimating the Joint Effect of Multiple Soil Conservation Practices: A Case Study of Smallholder Farmers in the Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya]. Land Use Policy, 39, 177-187.
Yazdanpanah, M., Feyzabad, F.R., Forouzani, M., Mohammadzadeh, S., Burton, R.J. (2015). [Predicting Farmers’ Water Conservation Goals and Behavior in Iran: A Test of Social Cognitive Theory]. Land Use Policy, 47, 401-407.
Yazdanpanah, M., Hayati, D., Thompson, M., Zamani, G.H., Monfared, N. (2014). [Policy and Plural Responsiveness: Taking Constructive Account of the Ways in Which Iranian Farmers Think about and Behave in Relation to Water]. Journal of Hydrology, 514, 347-357.
Yazdanpanah, M., Hayati, D., Zamani, G.H. (2012). [Application of Cultural Theory in Analysis of Attitude and Activities toward Water Resource Conversation: The Case of Jihad-e Keshavarzi Staffs in Bushehr Province (Persian)].  Iranian. Agricultural Extension and Education Journal. 7(2), 1-19.
Journal of Rural Research
Volume 10, Issue 4
March 2020
Pages 714-727

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 14 May 2019
  • Revise Date: 25 September 2019
  • Accept Date: 11 November 2019

Share

How to cite

Statistics