Interpreting the Human Relationship to Their Ecosystems: A Socioeconomic Lens

Abstract

Socioeconomic status (SES) has long been established in the literature as a determinant of one's access to financial, educational, and residential resources, which influences overall well-being. In a rapidly changing climate, access to these resources becomes crucial because of their utility in evading adverse climate effects. More specifically, an individual's perception of their environment throughout their development, their connectedness to nature, and access to green spaces are important considerations when examining the relationship between SES and climate change impacts. While several studies have explored the relationship between SES and the impacts of extreme climate events on greenspace accessibility and health, very few studies to date have evaluated a more direct relationship between SES, ecological connection, and greenspace access. With this in mind, this study assesses how SES can improve or diminish greenspace access and overall connectedness to nature among several environments. Results indicate that childhood access to greenspace predicts childhood, adolescent, and early adult connectedness to nature. Childhood access to greenspace is also associated with other childhood socioeconomic variables. While qualitative results show that a connectedness to nature exists between all SES groups, they also show that lower- and middle-class SES groups have a stronger relationship to nature and that higher socioeconomic status acts as a buffer against weaker connectedness to nature. While these findings provide valuable insights regarding the impact of SES on various aspects of ecological connection, more research is needed to better understand this relationship. Future research should investigate the link between these variables by considering disaster-based resilience and personality traits.