Socialization and Intergenerational Change of Environmental Consciousness in China

Abstract

Public participation is an important part of the mechanism of dealing with environmental protection. Different from the bottom-up model in environmental mobilization and governance in the West, China follows a top-down model in which the government makes decisions, implements policies, and educates the public. Ever since the beginning of economic take-off, the Chinese government has made environmental protection a national policy. In 1992, the government proposed a strategy for sustainable development, and shortly after issued China 21st Century Agenda, for the first time advocating public participation. With such political determination (Pan 2004), the public environmental participation system was established gradually. It is therefore safe to say that China’s public environmental participation system was characterized by governmental dominance.