ERIC Number: ED660165
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 218
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3836-4839-1
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Sustainable Consumption in Generation Z High School Teenagers: A Case Study
Kathryn M. Sickinger
ProQuest LLC, Ph.D. Dissertation, Prescott College
Scientists have warned about climate change since the 1950's. Anthropomorphic conditions, such as patterns of personal consumption, have amplified the impacts of climatic shifts. Educational campaigns that promote sustainable consumption could potentially mitigate the environmental impacts of overconsumption. While this pattern seems to be cross-generational, Ziesemer et al. (2020), suggest that in many ways, the generation born between 1997 and 2013, known as Generation Z, is particularly susceptible to habits of overconsumption. Furthermore, research suggests that studying the consumption habits of high school-aged teenagers is particularly important because it is the life stage when parental influence begins to diminish compared to the influences of peers and social media. Therefore, consumption habit adjustment of Generation Z high school teenagers in the Global North is an essential component of consumer footprint reduction, which can help mitigate the effects of climate change. This case study aimed to explore how parents, peers, social media, and schools could influence sustainable consumption knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in a specific population of Generation Z high school teenagers to create a responsive curriculum on education for sustainable consumption. This study found that a combination of influences was significantly associated with students' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors pertaining to their practice of sustainable consumption. Qualitative assessments of participant statements identified how the impacts of these influences corresponded to the consumer socialization theory and behavioral change theories. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Age Groups, Sustainability, Conservation (Environment), Behavior Change, High School Students, Social Media, Parent Influence, Peer Influence, Developmental Stages, Climate, Environmental Education, Knowledge Level
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A