Sustainable Household Capability: which households are doing the work of environmental sustainability?

Abstract

This paper presents a framework for analysing which households are doing 'their bit' for sustainability in an era of climate change, using a two-stage cluster analysis of sustainable household capabilities. The framework segments households by their reported level of commitment to 'pro-sustainability' practices common to conventional government policies. Results are presented from a large-scale survey of Wollongong households, New South Wales, Australia. Results illustrate the importance of approaching household sustainability through everyday practices. Attention is drawn to the wide variation in participation in specific household sustainability practices. Investigation into sustainable household capability by household segments shows the limits of even the most committed households. Results show the importance of socio-cultural contexts in differentiating sustainable household capabilities*with women, suburban-detached households and lower income segments of the population ultimately doing most of the work of being sustainable.

Re-thinking climate change adaptation and capacities at the household scale

“…They also possess unheralded capacities. A survey of Australian households found that the least affluent households were most adept at creatively changing household practices to reduce energy, fuel, water and food consumption (Waitt et al 2012). In other studies, ethnic minority/migrant households were found to engage in sustainable practices, using public transport at above-average rates and saving water (Allon and Sofoulis 2006).…”

“…Numerous studies have explored the incongruence between environmental knowledge/attitudes and behaviours (Kollmuss and Agyeman 2002), or between climate change awareness and engagement with mitigation (Spence et al 2011). In two Australian studies, Waitt et al (2012) found that low-income households engaged in sustainable practices despite not identifying as 'green'; and Klocker et al (2012) found that older family members in multi-generational households (some of whom were climate change sceptics) valued frugality. They thus used resources more sustainably than their environmentallyconcerned children and grandchildren.…”

“…Several studies have critiqued the traditional assumption that pro-environmental attitudes and/or behaviours are associated with high incomes, high levels of formal education, younger age groups and Anglo-European cultural norms (Waitt et al 2012;Klocker and Head 2013;Stanes et al 2015). Socioeconomically disadvantaged households, older generations and migrant and ethnic minority households do engage in sustainable practices.…”

“It’s Just a Matter of Adjustment”: Residents’ Perceptions and the Potential for Low-impact Home Practices

“…In addition, a growing body of research conducted in high-consuming societies in North America, Europe as well as Australia highlights contextual factors, sociocultural aspects and individual differences among households as influencing resource intensity (Aune, 2007;Janda, 2011;Gibson et al, 2011;Newton and Meyer, 2012;Waitt et al, 2012). Focusing on residents' lived experiences (Maller, Horne and Dalton, 2012), the household has been framed as a relevant unit of focus for sustainability (Head et al, 2013;Reid, Sutton and Hunter, 2009).…”

Diversifying Ethnicity in Australia's Population and Environment Debates

“…Cultural environmental research thus offers great potential for moving beyond normative, western assumptions of what it means to be 'green', and allows alternative pathways for action to be imagined (Gibson et al 2011;Waitt et al 2012). Recently, much cultural environmental research has focused on unpacking everyday domestic routines.…”