Environmental risk and technological progress in young people's perception and practices

 
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   	
  	
  	
  Introduction 	
  
	
  
For	
  many	
  years	
  now	
  numerous	
  international	
  sources	
  have	
  been	
  showing	
  the	
  
rapidity	
  with	
  which	
  the	
  human	
  being	
  is	
  gradually	
  destroying	
  the	
  ozone	
  layer	
  
contributing	
  with	
  his	
  activities	
  to	
  global	
  warming	
  and	
  to	
  an	
  increasing	
  rivers	
  
water	
  and	
  ai r	
  pollution	
  rate	
  that	
  gives	
  no	
  sign	
  of	
  decreasing,	
  causing	
  the	
  
extinction	
  of	
  many	
  species,	
  demolishing	
  forests,	
  depleting	
  mineral	
  resources,	
  
inflicting	
  other	
  forms	
  of	
  damage	
  on	
  environment	
  and	
  consequently	
  on	
  his	
  own	
  
life	
  (Sen,	
  2010,	
  pp.	
  576 -­‐583);	
  all	
  this	
   happens	
  even	
  if	
  it	
  is	
  well-­‐ known	
  by	
  now	
  
that	
  man’s	
  future	
  mainly	
  depends	
  on	
  protection	
  and	
  safeguard	
  of	
  the	
  living	
  
environment.	
  Many	
  actions	
  in	
  our	
  standard	
  behaviour	
  and	
  daily	
  routine	
  as	
  for	
  
instance	
  turning	
  the	
  light	
  and	
  heating	
  on,	
  making	
  electrical	
  ap pliances	
  work,	
  
driving	
  and	
  throwing	
  the	
  litter	
  away	
  surely	
  may	
  have	
  high -­‐impact	
  
environmental	
  consequences	
  (ENEA,	
  2006,	
  p.4). 	
  
The	
  present	
  academic	
  thesis	
  has	
  been	
  built	
  up	
  in	
  th e	
  theoretical	
  framework	
  
that	
  has 	
   just	
   been	
   outlined.	
  
The	
  following	
  	
  presented	
  w ork	
  consists	
  in	
  a	
  sort	
  of	
  exploratory	
  and	
  
quantitative	
  pilot	
  study	
  	
  aiming	
  at	
  investigating	
  the	
  knowledge,	
  perceptions	
  
and	
  practices	
  of	
  a	
  sample	
  of	
  students	
  attending	
  the	
  last	
  two	
  years	
  of	
  
secondary	
  school	
  from	
  different	
  educational	
  institutes	
  in	
  Rome	
  abou t	
  
environmental	
  issues	
  ,	
  without	
  any	
  claim	
  of	
  statistical	
  inference. 	
  
On	
   the	
   one	
  hand	
  it	
  is	
  the	
  same	
  individual	
  who	
  directs	
  himself	
  making	
  his	
  
choices	
  thanks	
  to	
  his	
  values	
  (Sciolla,	
  2008,	
  pp.	
  89 -­‐90)	
  and	
  on	
  the	
  other	
  hand	
  it	
  
is	
  society	
  that	
  needs	
  to	
  have	
  new 	
   generations	
  acquire	
  values,	
  norms,	
  attitudes	
  
and	
  behaviours	
  that	
  are	
  generally	
  shared	
  by 	
   some	
  social	
  group	
  (Catellani	
  in	
  
Besozzi,	
  2006,	
  p.112).	
  
Anyway	
  today	
  particularly	
  in	
  western	
  societies	
  you	
  can	
  often	
  hear	
  about	
  
decline	
  in	
  morality	
  and	
  values	
  (Boudon, 	
   2003,	
  p.7). 	
  
What	
  place	
  have	
  environmental	
  issues	
  in	
  the	
  value	
  scale	
  of	
  young	
  people	
  
nowadays	
  considering	
  changes	
  in 	
   the	
   public	
  moral	
  sense	
  and	
  belief	
  system	
  ? 	
  
The	
  basic	
  hypothesis	
  of	
  this	
  analysis	
  	
  lies	
  in	
  the	
  existence	
  of	
  a	
  relationship	
  
between	
  knowledge 	
   and	
  practices	
  related	
  to	
  environment	
  but	
  above	
  all	
  
between	
  background	
  and	
   the	
   already	
  mentioned	
  practices. 	
  
The	
  usual	
  different	
  areas	
  of	
  socialization	
  and	
  values	
  transmission	
  	
  which	
  are	
  
crucial	
  in	
  this	
  age	
  group	
  have	
  been	
  considered	
  ,	
  that	
  is	
  family,	
  school,	
  group	
  of	
  
peers	
  and	
  mass	
  media. 	
  
In	
  what	
  refers	
  to	
  the	
  last	
  mentioned	
  institution	
  it	
  is	
  necessary	
  to	
  point	
  out	
  that	
  
in	
  this	
  study	
  	
  the	
  named	
  term	
  implies	
  essentially	
  television	
  because	
  if	
  
compared	
  to	
  newspapers	
  and	
  the	
  radio	
  it	
  is	
  the	
  most	
  followed	
  by	
  the 	
  
examined	
  group	
  of	
  age;	
  whereas	
  the	
  internet	
  as	
  new	
  medium	
  is	
  still	
  difficult	
  to	
  
be	
  used	
  by	
  youngsters	
  to	
  search	
  for	
  this	
  kind	
  of	
  information.	
  
5
It	
  is	
  television	
  communication	
  that	
  has	
  been	
  regarded	
  as	
  the	
  most	
  appropriate	
  
for	
  the	
  present	
  study	
  as	
  it	
  broadca sts	
  news	
  that	
  are	
  somehow	
  recognized	
  or	
  at	
  
least	
  just	
  listened	
  to	
  by	
  individuals	
  of	
  any	
  age. 	
  
Within	
  educational	
  processes	
  it	
  is	
  yet	
  better	
  to	
  distinguish	
  between 	
  
formal	
  and	
  informal	
  level.	
  When	
  talking	
  about	
  formal	
  level	
  it	
  is	
  to	
  mean	
  	
  
project	
  and	
  intentionality	
  of	
  the	
  educational	
  process	
  	
  as	
  they	
  are	
  to	
  be	
  
observed	
  in	
  family	
  and	
  school	
  education. 	
  
The	
  informal	
  level	
  describes	
  instead	
  the	
  whole	
  of	
  social	
  relationships	
  
which	
  produce	
  an	
  educational	
  and	
  socializing	
  effect	
  of	
  orientations	
  and	
  
meanings	
  on	
  the	
  par t	
  of	
  the	
  subject	
  and	
  his	
  adjustment	
  to	
  norms	
  and	
  rules	
  
defined	
  by	
  the	
  situation	
  or	
  by	
  the	
  social	
  milieu	
  	
  in	
  which 	
   his	
  experience	
  
takes	
  place	
  (Besozzi,2006,	
  p.113). 	
  
The	
  survey	
  method	
  that	
  has	
  been	
  chosen	
  for	
  the	
  study	
  is	
  the	
  interview	
  with	
  a	
  
self-­‐completion	
   questionnaire.	
  
The	
  questionnaire	
  is	
  based	
  on	
  29	
  questions	
  that	
  can	
  be	
  mainly	
  connected	
  to	
  
three	
  areas: 	
  
	
  
-­‐ the	
  first	
  area	
  is	
  cognitive	
  and	
  analyzes	
  bas ic	
  data; 	
  
-­‐ the	
  second	
  area	
   regards	
  both	
  school	
  experience	
  and	
  extra -­‐school	
  
experience	
  that	
  is	
  interests	
  and	
  f ree	
  time; 	
  
-­‐ the	
  third	
  area	
  examines	
  the	
  environmental	
  perception	
  in	
  young	
  people;	
  
the	
  whole	
  of	
  knowledge,	
  perceptions	
  and	
  practices	
  they	
  adopt	
  with	
  
regard	
  to	
  environmental	
  issues;	
  by	
  “environmental	
  issues”	
  are	
  going	
  to	
  
be	
  meant	
  above	
  all:	
  water	
  consumption,	
   waste	
  sorting;	
  depletion	
  of	
  
fossil	
  sources	
  of	
  energy;	
  nuclear	
  power	
  and	
  renewable	
  energy	
  (in	
  its	
  
different	
  forms). 	
  
	
  
In	
  all	
  1.100	
  students	
  have	
  been	
  reached,	
  at	
  different	
  educational	
  institutes	
  in	
  
Rome	
  and	
  attending	
  the	
  last	
  two	
  years	
  of	
  secondary	
  school;	
  questionnaires	
  
have	
  been	
  delivered	
  to	
  and	
  filled	
  out	
  in	
  the	
  classrooms,	
  that	
  is	
  in	
  the	
  place	
  
where	
  they	
  spend	
  the	
  most	
  of	
  their	
  time,	
  in	
  the	
  presence	
  of	
  the	
  undersigned,	
  
available	
  for	
  any	
  question	
  or	
  explanation.	
   	
  
To	
  be	
  more	
  precise	
  the	
  schools	
  taken	
  into	
  c onsideration	
  are	
  nine: 	
  
a	
  secondary	
  school	
  focused	
  on	
  liberal	
  arts	
  (liceo	
  classico),	
  a	
  secondary	
  school	
  
focused	
  on	
  scientific	
  subjects	
  (liceo	
  scientifico),	
  another	
  school	
  based	
  on	
  both	
  
liberal	
  and	
  scientific	
  studies,	
  the	
  liberal	
  arts	
  courses	
  of	
  a	
  multi -­‐choice	
  
secondary	
  school,	
  	
  a	
  secondary	
  school	
  focused	
  on	
  socio -­‐psycho-­‐pedagogical	
  
subjects	
  and	
  one	
  focused	
  on	
  art, 	
   two	
  technical	
  institutes	
  and	
  a	
  professional	
  
institute.	
   	
  
	
  
The	
  survey	
  questionnaires	
  were	
  handed	
  out	
  between	
  May	
  and	
  June	
  therefore	
  
in	
  the	
  period	
  of	
   time	
  going	
  from	
  the	
  blast	
  of	
  Fukushima	
  nuclear	
  power	
  plant	
  
6
(11th	
  March	
  2011)	
  to	
  the	
  referendum	
  on	
  nuclear	
  power	
  	
  (12 th	
   and	
  13th 	
   June	
  
2011).	
  
Beyond	
  creating	
  difficulties	
  in	
  contacting	
  the	
  teachers	
  in	
  the	
  schools	
  this	
  has	
  
carried	
  an	
  abundance	
  of	
  information,	
   both	
  coming	
  from	
  mass	
  media	
  and	
  any	
  
socializing	
  agency ,	
   concerning	
  nuclear	
  power	
  above	
  all	
  but	
  also	
  the	
  energy	
  
issue	
  in	
  a	
  wider	
  sense. 	
  
The	
  present	
  study	
  will	
  be	
  organized	
  in	
  five	
  chapters;	
  the	
  first	
  two	
  have	
  the	
  
purpose	
  to	
  retrace	
  the	
  theoretical	
  framework	
  that	
  supported	
  the	
  investigation	
  
and	
  more	
  specifically	
  the	
  questionnaire	
  construction. 	
  
The	
  first	
  chapter	
  will	
  take	
  into	
  account	
  the	
  environmental	
  risk	
  both	
  from	
  a	
  
sociological	
  point	
  of	
  view	
  	
  also	
  by	
  evaluating	
  	
  related	
  argumentations,	
  like	
  the	
  
relationship	
  between	
  science	
  and	
  mass -­‐media	
  and	
  the	
  perception	
  of	
  risk;	
  and	
  
in	
  addition	
  more	
  specifically	
  from	
  a	
  scientific	
  point	
  of	
  view	
  thanks	
  to	
  the	
  
bibliographical	
  material	
   found	
  at	
  ENEA	
  during	
  the	
  attended	
  internship. 	
  
The	
  second	
  chapter	
  will	
  deal	
  with	
  the	
  decription	
  of	
  those	
  who	
  adopt	
  
this	
  information	
  i.e.	
  young	
  people	
  and	
  it	
  will	
  do	
  this	
  	
  examining 	
   the	
  	
  
socialization	
  agencies	
  from	
  which	
  they	
  learn.	
  
This	
  particular	
  group	
  of	
  age	
  was	
  chosen	
  on	
  the	
  whole	
  for	
  two	
  main	
  reasons:	
  
on	
  the	
  one	
  hand	
  because	
  young	
  people	
  a re	
  the	
  future	
  of	
  our	
  society	
  and	
  
therefore	
  it	
  is	
  important	
  to	
  know	
  what	
  they	
  think	
  and	
  how	
  they	
  act;	
  on	
  the	
  
other	
  hand	
  they	
  were	
  chosen	
  to	
  observe	
  the	
  influence	
  of	
  	
  the	
  different	
  
socialization	
  agencies	
  that	
  is	
  family,	
  school,	
  group	
  of	
  peers	
  and	
  mass	
  media.	
  
Starting	
  from	
  the	
  third	
  chapter	
  the	
  real	
  investigation	
  will	
  begin	
  to	
  be	
  
explained	
  by	
  considering	
  the	
  research	
  project	
  and	
  the	
  survey	
  instrument;	
  in	
  
the	
  fourth	
  chapter	
  the	
  reached	
  sample	
  will	
  be	
  described ,	
   whereas	
  the	
  fifth	
  
chapter	
  will	
  report	
  the	
  most	
  rel evant	
  intersections	
  for	
  the	
  survey	
  purposes. 	
  
	
  
	
  
	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
  	
   CHAPTER	
  1 	
  
	
  
The	
  environmental	
  issue:	
  a	
  theoretical	
  general	
  overview	
   	
  
	
  
1.1 Environmental	
  risk	
  
	
  
Human	
  life	
  safety	
  has	
  always	
  been	
  considered	
  as	
  a	
  factor	
  depending	
  on	
   the	
  
power	
  and	
  endurance	
  of	
  	
  the	
  natural	
  world	
  in	
  which	
  we	
  are	
  living	
  and	
  in	
  the	
  
course	
  of	
  history	
  the	
  human	
  being	
  has	
  always	
  shown	
  a	
  tendency	
  to	
  take	
  the	
  
force	
  of	
  nature	
  and	
  the	
  safe	
  shelter	
  it	
  offers	
  for	
  granted. 	
  
Recently,	
  though,	
  nature	
  has	
  revealed	
  its 	
   vulnerability	
  and	
  has	
  proved	
  to	
  be	
  
more	
  and	
  more	
  inclined	
  to	
  abandon	
  us	
  in	
  a	
  state	
  of	
  desperate	
  inconsistency	
  
and	
  this	
  is	
  especially	
  true	
  in	
  the	
  last	
  years	
  when	
  an	
  increasing	
  awareness	
  has	
  
emerged	
  according	
  to	
  the	
  fact	
  that	
  the	
  environment	
  in	
  which	
  we	
  live	
  besides	
  
7
being	
  extremely	
  fragile	
  also	
  represents	
  an	
  actual	
  threat	
  of	
  severe	
  insecurity	
  
towards	
  human	
  life	
  and	
  that	
  of	
  other	
  species	
  (Sen,	
  2010,	
  pp.576 -­‐583).	
  
Demonstrations	
  of	
  the	
  rapidity	
  with	
  which	
  man	
  is	
  destroying	
  the	
  ozone	
  layer	
  
are	
  increasing,	
  as	
  wel l	
  as	
  of	
  the	
  one	
  causing	
  global	
  warming,	
  polluting	
  rivers	
  
and	
  air,	
  contributing	
  to	
  the	
  extinction	
  of	
  many	
  species,	
  demolishing	
  forests,	
  
depleting	
  mineral	
  resources	
  and	
  inflicting	
  other	
  forms	
  of	
  devastation	
  or	
  
adverse	
  effects	
  on	
  environment	
  and	
  consequently	
   on	
  living	
  organisms. 	
  
Despite	
  the	
  constant	
  succession	
  of	
  scientific	
  debates	
  dedicated	
  to	
  the	
   	
  
development	
  of	
  single	
  prognosis,	
  our	
  environmental	
  prospects	
  can	
  only	
  be	
  
distinghished	
  by	
  a	
  general	
  sense	
  of	
  deep	
  vulnerability	
  (Sen,	
  2010,pp.	
  576 -­‐
583).	
  
Therefore	
   to	
  cope	
  with	
  the	
  climate	
  and	
  environment	
  necessities	
  of	
  a	
  
sustainable	
  development	
  it	
  is	
  better	
  to	
  bear	
  in	
  mind	
  the	
  much	
  wider 	
  
and	
  more	
  strict	
  context	
  of	
  the	
  dependence	
  on	
  environment	
  that	
  characterizes	
  
life	
  in	
  general,	
  but	
  above	
  all	
  that	
  especially	
  charact erizes	
  human	
  life	
  (Sen,	
  
2010,pp.	
  576 -­‐583).	
  
Many	
  questions	
  arise	
  from	
  these	
  observations	
  (Sen,	
  2010,pp.	
  576 -­‐583).	
  
How	
  can	
  we	
  mitigate	
  our	
  vulnerability	
  ?	
  How	
  do	
  we	
  have	
  to	
  deal	
  with	
  our	
  
environmental	
  responsibilities	
  ?	
  In	
  which	
  way	
  must	
  today’s	
  generation	
  
understand	
  their	
  responsibilities	
  toward	
  future	
  citizens	
  ?	
  
Much	
  of	
  our	
  future	
  depends	
  on	
  protection	
  and	
  safeguard	
  of	
  the	
  environment	
  
and	
  common	
  man	
  becomes	
  as	
  a	
  consequence	
  more	
  and	
  more	
  the	
  subject	
  of	
  
environmental	
  policies	
  and	
  of	
  new	
  choices	
  where	
  environ ment	
  has	
  not	
  to	
  be	
  
greedily	
  exploited	
  but	
  respectfully	
  managed.	
  
Social	
  perception	
  with	
  regard	
  to	
  ecological	
  problems	
  gains	
  attention 	
  
and	
  the	
  effectiveness	
  of	
  any	
  action	
  or	
  policy	
  in	
  the	
  environmental	
  field	
  implies	
  
both	
  a	
  different	
  awareness	
  	
  on	
  the	
  part	
  of 	
   citizens	
  and 	
   the	
  adoption	
  of	
  suitable 	
  
behaviours	
  (Caracciolo	
  in	
  Beato,	
  Nobile,	
  Ciampi,	
  Fraire,	
  2009,	
  p.7). 	
  
The	
  “environmental	
  issue”	
  is	
  always	
  present	
  in	
  mass	
  media	
  communication,	
  in	
  
public	
  policy	
  concerns,	
  and	
  in	
  the	
  interests	
  of	
  many	
  economic	
  subjects	
  b ut	
  yet	
  
the	
  significance	
  that	
  is	
  given	
  to	
  the	
  concerning	
  news	
  and	
  themes	
  may	
  
sometimes	
  have	
  the	
  effect	
  of	
  not	
  letting	
  man	
  feel	
  that	
  he	
  can	
  be	
  a	
  key	
  player	
  
and	
  directly	
  correct	
  or	
  reduce	
  the	
  impacts	
  of	
  his	
  activities	
  on	
  environmental	
  
quality	
  thanks	
  to	
  	
  the	
  s imple	
  daily	
  choices	
  he	
  makes	
  (Maggi,	
  Simeone	
  in	
  Beato,	
  
Nobile,	
  Ciampi,	
  Fraire,	
  2009,	
  p.9). 	
  
In	
  opinion	
  surveys	
  being	
  regularly	
  conducted,	
  the	
  environmental	
  issue	
  is	
  
always	
  mentioned. 	
  
Even	
  if	
  it	
  is	
  not	
  always	
  on	
  top	
  of	
  the	
  main	
  concerns	
  of	
  Italians	
  and	
  Europ eans,	
  
it	
  appears	
  anyway	
  in	
  the	
  list	
  of	
  problems	
  under	
  different 	
   forms	
  as	
  for	
  
instance:	
  pollution,	
  waste,	
  traffic,	
  climate	
  change,	
  etc.	
  (Struffi,	
  2000,	
  in	
  
Pellizzoni,	
  Osti,	
  p.38). 	
  
From	
  opinion	
  surveys	
  it	
  emerges	
  that	
  naturality	
  is	
  a	
  highly	
  important	
  value	
  
for	
  the	
  most	
  part	
  of	
  population	
  and 	
   it	
   is	
  present	
  not	
  only	
  	
  in	
  opinions	
  and	
  
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