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Makale Özeti:
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The purpose of this study is to construct a structural equation model to examine the links
among attitudes, values, and behaviors pertaining to sustainability, participation in outdoor
recreation as well as gender and tendency to follow mass media for university students. The
data were collected by on-line administration of a survey to 958 students at Middle East
Technical University during February-June of 2008. It needs to be stressed that gender
emerged as a strong factor explaining sustainability-related attributes. It was reflected that
female students having higher tendency to follow media held more favorable attitudes and
behaviors toward sustainable life styles, and more ecocentric values. Furthermore, attitudes
and values were found to be significant determinants of university students’ behaviors pertaining
to sustainability. It was also reported that higher tendency to follow media yielded
more favorable attitudes, higher levels of ecocentric values, and engagement in outdoor recreational
activities such as walking in nature, bird watching, and camping. These results
implied that the university campus should be well equipped with the necessary infrastructures
that will satisfy the needs and encourage female students as well as male students to
motivate them take appreciative outdoor activities. A gender perspective should be integrated
into existing mainstream institutions and all programmatic areas or sectors, including
education in order to hinder gender inequality. In addition, during the rehabilitation of sustainability
issues in higher education institutions, favorable attitudes and values of university
students should be regarded as an auxiliary agent.
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