Centennial Honors College
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2012
Poster Presentation
Cultural Values and the Dichotomy of Nature
Christopher Hetelle
Faculty Mentor: Lora Ebert Wallace
Sociology
The study compared respondent adherence to the American cultural model and
their knowledge of environmental issues. A survey was administered to 65
Western Illinois University students in Fall of 2011 which included questions
regarding their agreement with the American cultural model and their knowledge
on environmental issues. Those that most agreed with the American cultural
model were shown to have significantly less knowledge regarding environmental
issues and were more likely to support using technology to solve environmental
issues. The results of the study showed that more than fifty percent of students
adhered the American cultural model and findings suggest that respondents' high
use of technology may have impacted their approach to environmental issues.