Authoritarian Personality and Consciousness of Environmental Conservation From the Perspective of Destructiveness

• Published in: Japanese Sociological Review Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 70 - 84
• Main Author: HOSAKA, Minoru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japan Sociological Society 30.06.2002
• Subjects: Adorno, Theodor Wiesengrund; authoritarian personality; Authoritarianism (Psychology); consciousness of environmental conservation; Conservation; destructiveness; Environmental Attitudes; Germany; Nazism; Personality Traits
• ISSN: 0021-5414; 1884-2755
• DOI: 10.4057/jsr.53.70

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relation between authoritarian personality and consciousness of environmental conservation using Adorno et al's perspectives in The Authoritarian Personality. In examining the question of which aspects of authoritarian personality are related to a consciousness of environmental conservation, attention is first drawn to a group of high-scoring subjects who display traits of both overconformity and underlying destructiveness toward established authority. Analysis shows that there is a negative correlation between overconformity and consciousness of environmental conservation, and a positive correlation between destructiveness and consciousness of environmental conservation. Next, the relation between consciousness of environmental conservation and authoritarian personality that displays traits of both overconformity and destructiveness is investigated. In this case, it is found that subjects with authoritarian personality are highly conscious of environmental conservation. Finally, citing the case of environmental conservation movements in Nazi Germany, I discuss consciousness of environmental conservation of people with authoritarian personality. My findings suggest that an “authoritarian consciousness of environmental conservation” exists today.