Investigating the role of social and cultural factors on the environmental behavior of Mazandaran youth

This article examines the role of social and cultural factors on environmental behavior. For this purpose, Ronald Inglehart's theory of values, Bourdieu's cultural capital, Calmus and Ajigman's pattern of environmental behavior were used as a theoretical framework. The research method is survey and the statistical population is over 18 years old in Sari and Joibar cities. The sampling method is multi-stage cluster and the sample size according to Cochran's formula is 400 people. Data collection tool is a researcher-made questionnaire. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, path analysis and regression analysis using SPSS software. Formal validity was used to assess validity and the reliability of the environmental behavioral variable was 0.858, which is very high and its items were able to have the necessary internal harmonization. The results show that the average environmental behavior among individuals is high and the average is 3.78. There is a significant positive and direct relationship between religiosity, social participation, cultural capital, social trust, environmental sociability and environmental behavior. Sociability and religiosity have a positive and significant relationship with four dimensions of environmental behavior (energy consumption behavior, environmental protection behavior, environmental behavior in travel and environmental shopping pattern) and environmental advertising and media use only with the environmental purchasing pattern has a significant relationship. Independent variables explain and predict 33% of the variance and changes in environmental behavior. The result is that economic and social factors have a great impact on environmental behaviors. Socialization and transfer of environmental knowledge and information by family, school, social environment and society has an important role in increasing the environmental behaviors of residents of Sari and Joibar cities and its role is more important than the media and environmental propaganda. Socio-cultural factors such as religiosity, trust, cultural capital and education are also determinants of environmental protection.