A Comparative Study of People's Attitudes to Greenery in Cities between Japan and the UK

1996 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 06455021
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: 広領域
• Research Institution: Kyoritsu Womens Junior College
• Principal Investigator: YAMAMORI Yoshiro Kyoritsu Womens Junior College, Prof., 教授 (10133117)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TOMIOTA Yoshinosuke Noseiken Center, Chief Rec., 調査役 ; OKADA Satoru Kyoritsu Womens Junior College, Ass. Prof., 助教授 (30233331) ; KODAMA Yoshinobu Kyoritsu Womens Junior College, Ass. Prof., 助教授 (00108200)
• Project Period (FY): 1994 – 1996
• Keywords: city / greenery / attitude structure / nationarity / environmental destruction / qestionaire

Research Abstract

1 For both the Japanese and British respondents, the first two axs are read to represent the following contrasting structures of attitude :
'Style of Involvement' : 'Active'*-* 'Passive'
'Subjects of Involvement' : 'Pro-nature'*-* 'Pro-artifacts'
2 By cross-refering these two axs, the folowing four types of attitude model are obtained :
Type 1 : Passive involvement + Pro-nature
Type 2 : Active involvement + Pro-nature
Type 3 : Active involvement + Pro-artifacts
Type 4 : Passive involvement + Pro-artifacts
Along the 'active-passive' axis, other divisions of attitudes are also observed. They are 'independent-dependent' and 'productive-consumerist'divisions among Japanese respondents, and 'coexistent', 'harmony'and 'isolation' attitudes which are strongly associated with 'passive' attitudes among the British respondents.
Many categories which are grouped along the above two axs show very similar patterns between Japan and the UK with a couple of exceptions. For example, the statements (categories) which include the word 'park', in particular, when it has trees and water features, are located in opposite positions for the two countries. This means that in Japan 'parks' are recognised as being associated with 'active interference by people', but in the UK they are seen as 'natural things' without much interference, thus reflecting the different histories and cultures of the two countries.
The first axis with the highest statistical score (eight value) is 'active-passive' in Japan and 'pro-nature-pro-artifacts' in the UK.The score difference between the first and the second axs are larger in the UK than in Japan. This means that in the UK the preference of either 'pro-nature or pro-artifacts' is the strongest factor which divides people's attitudes.
The distribution of individual respondents shows that in Japan people shift towards Type 3 (attitudes of active involvement for more artificial 'green'), but in the UK people shift towards Type 1 (attitudes of coexisting or in harmony with more natural 'green').
This study identified four types of attitude structures to greenery, and the similarities and differences between Japan and the UK.These factors need to be born in mind when cultural exchanges and co-operation for environmental action are promoted between the two countries.