Place, Values, and Public Opinion About Climate Change in South Carolina

Authors

M. Lee Bundrick Jr., College of Charleston
Matthew C. Nowlin, College of Charleston

Volume Number

48

Issue Number

1

Abstract

Climate change poses significant risks to individuals and societies, yet the issue of climate change is politically and culturally polarized. However, views of climate change may also be driven by living in a community, such as a coastal area, that is likely to face several climate change-related impacts. In this paper, we use a unique survey of nearly 500 residents of South Carolina to examine views regarding the existence of climate change and the risks it poses. Specifically, we draw on the cultural theory of risk to explore the role of values compared to the role of place – living in a coastal county – on views about climate change. Overall, we find that cultural worldviews, particularly egalitarianism, is the largest driver of views about climate change, but living in a coastal county impacts concern about sea-level rise and flooding.

Recommended Citation

Bundrick, M. Lee Jr. and Nowlin, Matthew C. (2020) "Place, Values, and Public Opinion About Climate Change in South Carolina," Journal of Political Science: Vol. 48: No. 1, Article 4.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/jops/vol48/iss1/4