Gender Differences in Environmental Behaviors Among the Chinese Public: Model of Mediation and Moderation

The environmental concern literature consistently finds that women when compared with men participate more in private environmental behaviors such as recycling and green consumer activities. A common argument posits that this is because women possess stronger proenvironmental values, beliefs, and attitudes relative to men. Research findings in China, however, do not seem to support this argument. We use data from the 2010 Chinese General Social Survey to reexamine this argument by testing a model of the mediation effects of postmaterialism, environmental knowledge, and the New Ecological Paradigm, as well as a model of the moderation effect of postmaterialism. Our results show that lower levels of environmental knowledge of Chinese women relative to men hinder their participation in private environmental behaviors. There is also some evidence for the moderation effect of postmaterialism. We conclude this study by stating theoretical and policy implications of our findings, and offering insights for future research.