Sociological Explanation of Environmental Behaviors of the Youth in Tehran

Nowadays, environmental issues are considered a general and global challenge. Human environmental behavior as one of most important factors influencing the environment has attracted the attention of many philosophers, researchers, and environmentalists. Furthermore, sociologists believe that analysis of environmental issues require sociological studies and social solutions. This quantitative study was done to explain the environmental behaviors of young individuals of Tehran. The method used in this research is survey and questionnaire was used as the tool to collect data. Statistical population includes young individuals of Tehran in the range of 18-35 years old among which 453 people, from different districts of Tehran and considering the level of development of these districts, were selected.  Quota sampling method was used. Data analysis was done in descriptive and inferential levels. Descriptive findings of research indicated relatively desirable conditions of environmental behavior among the participants under study. Inferential findings indicate that independent variables of research (social class, cultural capital, level of religiosity, consumerism, and environmental awareness) totally (26 percent) have the ability to explain the variable variance of environmental behavior among participants. The effect of all independent variables except cultural capital on environmental destructive behavior is statistically significant. Moreover, the effect of social class and environmental awareness on environmental destructive behavior is inverse and the effect of consumerism and level of generosity variables on this variable is direct. Social class variable indirectly, and mediated by level of generosity variable, influences environmental destructive behavior inversely.