Guest essay by Eric Worrall
A study published in Journal of Consumer Research suggests men are shying away from “green” behaviours because men think they are “unmanly”.
Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly? The Green-Feminine Stereotype and Its Effect on Sustainable Consumption
Why are men less likely than women to embrace environmentally friendly products and behaviors? Whereas prior research attributes this gender gap in sustainable consumption to personality differences between the sexes, we propose that it may also partially stem from a prevalent association between green behavior and femininity, and a corresponding stereotype (held by both men and women) that green consumers are more feminine. Building on prior findings that men tend to be more concerned than women with gender identity maintenance, we argue that this green-feminine stereotype may motivate men to avoid green behaviors in order to preserve a macho image. A series of seven studies provides evidence that the concepts of greenness and femininity are cognitively linked and shows that, accordingly, consumers who engage in green behaviors are stereotyped by others as more feminine and even perceive themselves as more feminine. Further, men’s willingness to engage in green behaviors can be influenced by threatening or affirming their masculinity, as well as by using masculine rather than conventional green branding. Together, these findings bridge literatures on identity and environmental sustainability and introduce the notion that due to the green-feminine stereotype, gender identity maintenance can influence men’s likelihood of adopting green behaviours.
Read more: http://jcr.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/08/02/jcr.ucw044
One can only imagine the ghastly new propaganda pieces to come, as greens attempt to engage with our “manly” side.
What exactly are “green behaviors”?
I want clean air and water, and to save the birds and bats from senseless death, and I’m a man. Are those contradictory?
Is killing birds and bats with windmills part of “Green Behaviors”?
As far as I can tell, the only “green behaviors” I see with any consistency is paying to green groups.
Whether it’s organic farming, wind/solar power, or just flat-out donations, the primary benefit of “green” actions done is paying money to groups that call themselves environmentalists.
There are a few people who try to imitate Thoreau and live off the land, but more often than not, they fail just as spectacularly as he did at Walden Pond (it’s apparent from the narrative alone that he would have died very quickly if not from the aid he got from his friends and family, and that was certainly glossed over)
TA asks, “What exactly are “green behaviors”?”
As near as I can tell, there aren’t any. I can’t see the most vocal believers and proselytizers behaving any different from me, and often treating the environment worse that I do. It’s all virtue signaling by spouting the CAGW catechism under the guise of ‘climate change.’
And I’ll leave you with a follow-on question, TA. How do “green behaviors” actually do anything at all to “save the planet”?
What exactly are “green behaviors”?
Well thank you TA for asking the question. I thought I was the only one here who wondered just what the H we were trying to talk about.
The Greenie religion conveniently conflates all environmental as well as social concerns, whether real or imagined, because the actual goal is an anti-democratic control over people’s behavior. Using their own definition of “green” I (and my wife) are probably far “greener” than a lot of them are, with the exception that we don’t buy into the hype, and we couldn’t care less what other people do. It is how we choose to live. So yeah, we laugh at solar and wind power, because it’s real value is a hyped-up fake one. “Green” products are expensive snake-oil. Our “carbon footprint” is low, but not because we give a rat’s patootie about “carbon footprints”. And so on.
I’m with you on that too. I crunch cans and cash them in because they get me “free” beer, but I’m also conserving resources for “the kids”. We (wife included) avoid products that offer “organic” at a premium price and buy local produce. We try to use as little propane and electricity as possible as we are on retirement incomes.
Our biggest fear of the future has nothing to do with climate change, because that has always occurred. It is the seizure of the minds of the undereducated, indoctrinated youth of the western societies by the purveyors of despotically enforced socialism (to put it mildly), backed by the most influential religions which govern the drone population. To our house, that is the “spectre to be vanquished”.
A few years ago there was a study done by some University, I can’t remember which one, but it was a major one. It says that since soy is loaded with estrogen, the government has been pushing men to eat it in order to tame them into submission.
Yet another reason, as if more were needed, to hate feminism.
The chic-crusty-fairy Eco-warrior girls with their utility belts et al love their blokes to be blouses and like old ladies.
Wonder when the girls will push to have the airconditioners turned off at QUT, etc-
http://www.msn.com/en-au/money/company-news/queensland-university-of-technology-commits-to-divesting-its-fossil-fuel-shares/ar-AAivCjh?li=AA54Gb&ocid=spartandhp
I’ll believe our pollies are serious the day they announce that no publicly paid official will remain air-conditioned on their watch, just like in grandma and grandad’s day, all for the sake of the grand-kiddies. Set the shining example oh great ejumacated elites and overlords, for all the recalcitrant plebs out there working in the great outdoors and in the the workshops and factories. Bah humbug!
Two words, GAUZE DIAPERS.
If greenies want to “save the world” they could start by stop using disposable diapers on their babies… and their elders… and swapping to old gauze diapers, like the old times.
What are the world sales of Gauze diapers? What is sold more, cotton handkerchiefs or disposable paper tissues?
Actually, as a multiple child mommy, I didn’t use diapers at all most of the time and by the time my children reach 1 year of age, they are aware of when they have to do it and they do it in the potty. I did use multiple potties due to children having short time between noticing and going.
Seemers rather than doers.
Jeez! that was sort of biblical.
(In a Bowery Boys sort of way)
“Why are men less likely than women to embrace environmentally friendly products and behaviors?”
Dare I say that most women are more likely to defer to authority, are more likely to be susceptible to fashionable causes, easier to work into a state of emotional concern and tend to be more concerned what others think?
I now denounce myself.
So the Jolly Green Giant was unmanly??
HO – HO – HO!
Remember the ‘It isn’t nice to fool Mother Nature’ ad when the old lady gets very angry and storm clouds form?
The term “social science” is a misnomer. There is almost no science whatever in their research and findings. They use sciencey methods to arrive at desired evidence for the latest politically correct idea.
Point in case: The paper discussed in this article uses the word “may” 33 times — in its prior assumptions, in its hypothesis, in supporting findings….everything is characterized as “may be based on…” or “may point to….”.
Imagine gravity defined as “masses may be attracted to one another in what appears to be some relationship between mass and distance — or, maybe not.”
And math! 2+2=5, doesn’t it, Mr. Smith?
Oh god, I love this so-called academic crap.
To think that 20-somethings and 30-somethngs sit around all day during the most productive years of their lives and this is the best they can come up with…is stunning.
As their professors get older, it must get harder and harder to face themselves in the mirror if this is the culmination of all your efforts. I wonder how it feels to realize you’ve prostituted your life’s work to produce a bunch of obsequious sycophants to feed an intellectually corrupt political machine that doesn’t even really care about you all that much.
…and then the nagging thought that this huge pile of climate crap may just get laughed away because mother nature just isn’t playing ball.
Great, another excuse for SJWs to hate men.
If there is any truth to the ‘genderfication’ of the global warming debate, then I would argue that the real reason men are less likely to buy into it is merely because men tend to be more rational decision makers, while women are more likely to be influenced by appeals to emotion.
And if you dismiss my theory as sexist then you must dismiss the ‘macho’ one as sexist also or resign yourself to being a hypocrite.
I often submit comments in our newspaper in opposition to our local greenies who are male. I probably upset many who think I hate the environment . But most have not applied logic to their position. They consider themselves green but oppose CO2 which is essential for green. My main disputers locally are doctors and so trained in science but cannot argue the facts and instead appeal to emotions. Women, bless them, are more emotional than we men which provides balance in the grand scheme. My daughter no doubt thinks of herself as green but I use much less ‘fossil’ fuel or products made from them.
Two local greenies recently supported carbon taxes and local renewables. Neither considered the impact on business nor what Virginia would look like with windmills on our mountains, our meadows covered with solar panels or which rivers they would dam. Emotion need not consider facts.
Max
But the greens will be the first to scream “NIMBY!!!!” when the actual plans are being made for the placements of the renewables. People just lurve this stuff in theory, but the minute it starts being real, the freak-outs begin. It is like the idiots who join the army for the perks and then act all shocked about what being a soldier entails: “I didn’t know I might actually have to go to war or into combat or SHOOT at people!”
“I didn’t know I would have to actually SEE the windmills!”
More men than women study science.
That pretty much explains the gender difference.
Hey man, the topic of this post is triggering extreme emotions within my person, and I want to know why I was not given a warning first?
Well, I suggest you go find a safe space, eat a cheese sandwich and get a massage while watching videos of puppies frolicking. This is a free speech zone. :))
You might want to refer Menicholas to Eschenbach, I heard he’s the expert when it comes to massage.
Yeah, but he has man-hands!
*shudder*
Is that a criticism of LGBT movement?!?!
Where’s my safe space. :))
The feminist party in Sweden does the opposite. They explicitly frame climate change as a gender issue. Which is perfectly logical, since a feminist party needs to portray as many issues as possible as gender-related to justify its own existence.
If you want to see the green, animal rights types, go absolutely moonbat, turn inside out blabbering off the wall nuts, just post a good looking woman hunter with a dead animal. Do it, you will have fun. Was that off topic? I don’t know.
The green blight threatens everyone’s integrity.
“Why are men less likely than women to embrace environmentally friendly products and behaviors?” – Because we’re more likely to laugh at the people pushing this crap? Just a guess.
Real men can think
I love women and think they deserve all the respect and love we can give them. If they wish to join me in my blue collar world they are more than welcome as long as they can do the job.
I am a man, I bring home the money, I fix the cars, maintain the house, kill the spiders, and keep my family safe. I was raised to be tough, not to cry, and to do a hard day’s work. It’s who I am and my wife loves me for it.
You’ll never catch me driving a Prius…
If you drive in a city where yo spend more than a certain percentage of your time in slow traffic then you should reconsider your attitude. This sort of car is ideal for that even if it is boring ugly and the epitomy of stodgy design.
Weenie and Greenie rhyme — but I refuse to go there — Eugene WR Gallun
According to Obama’s Julia, women don’t need no STEEKIN men. They just go through life completely devoid of such worrisome and troubling creatures. Today’s feminists only need Father Federal Gummint (a few also seem to require a Mother Gaia). However, if I were Julia, I’d be a little worried that DAD’s credit cards are maxed out and the whole gravy train might collapse in Weimar or Greek fashion.
This is not a new meme.
https://climateaudit.org/2008/07/22/david-king-hot-girls-and-cold-continents/
All of leftism (not just global warming) is unmanly because it is based on having others care for you and tell you what to do.
Real men (and real women, too) don’t desire to be treated like little children.
On average not a huge difference but women are more about feelings while men are more about reason and global warming alarmism is highly irrational. Fewer men can be manipulated by fear-mongering to buy into it.
Would like to see the stats. I’m sure left leaning men are far more likely than conservative women to believe Al Gore’s 100% politically funded bought-and-paid-for anti-CO2 “consensus.”