Gender, race, and perceived environmental risk: The "white male" effect in cancer alley, La

    Authors

    B. K. Marshall

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Sociol. Spectr.

    Keywords

    NUCLEAR-POWER; SEX-DIFFERENCES; PERCEPTION; ATTITUDES; HAZARDS; ORIENTATIONS; POLLUTION; KNOWLEDGE; SCIENCE; ADDRESS; Sociology

    Abstract

    Research on risk perceptions are replete with race- and gender-specific hypotheses attempting to account for attitudinal variation. However, race and gender differences may mask more notable patterns across subgroups, patterns that lie at the intersection of race and gender. Recent national studies suggest that being a White male leads to lower risk perceptions and greater willingness to accept risks. This article extends this research by examining the "White male" effect in a chronically polluted context, an area where industrial pollution is palpable and well-documented. Data are drawn from a survey of a population living in "Cancer Alley," a stretch of the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. We find that women more than men and Blacks more than Whites perceive environmental risks as serious. Further, evidence suggests that these differences are mostly due to the relatively extreme perceptions of risk accepting White males and risk adverse Black females. After controlling for select variables in hierarchical multiple regression analyses, being a White male or Black female still has a statistically significant impact on risk perceptions.

    Journal Title

    Sociological Spectrum

    Volume

    24

    Issue/Number

    4

    Publication Date

    1-1-2004

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    453

    Last Page

    478

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000222385500003

    ISSN

    0273-2173

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