Environmental Culture Factors: A Comparative Study of Youth in Russia and Italy

Abstract

This study examines the concept of environmental culture in diverse national contexts, specifically Russia and Italy, aiming to understand how the main national factors are diverse in each country and shape the environmental culture of youth across different conditions. In-depth analysis focuses on the factor of social media, comparing environmental content topics in the two countries. Methodologically, the study uses quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative method includes diagnostics to assess the level of environmental culture of 264 young students from both countries. After clarifying the results of the initial method, an additional qualitative method was introduced: interview. This interview aimed to analyze changes in the components of the environmental culture of the youth following relocation to a country with a higher environmental culture. The survey was conducted among 23 Russian students who moved to Italy and lived there for more than a year. The study tests two hypotheses: (H1) The level of environmental culture among young students in Italy is higher than in Russia; (H2) Relocation to a country with a higher environmental culture leads to increased environmental awareness. The primary results confirm both hypotheses. The level of environmental culture among Italian students is higher than among Russian students. Additionally, the results highlight the positive influence of relocating from Russia to Italy on an individual's environmental awareness.