About this Research Topic
Traditionally, gender has been treated as a background or control variable in environmental psychology, and there has been little interest in understanding when and why gender matters. Despite that evidence generally confirms that gender matters for diverse effects of environments on people and of individuals' perceptions and behaviors on the environment, environmental psychology theories and empirical works have not always fully integrated gender issues. This includes health outcomes, but also for e.g., pro-environmental behaviors, climate change risk perceptions, mitigation, and adaptation-oriented activities. Several questions thus remain underexplored on gender-specific matters in key areas such as nature-health interactions, environmental psychological perspectives on building design and landscapes, effects of physical environmental factors (e.g., noise, pollution), pro-environmental behaviors and actions. Consequently, a systematic understanding of how gender and underlying psychological processes intersect is lacking, particularly in relation to gender differences in environmental concern. With the current environmental crisis, this deficiency extends to crucial outcomes for understanding the dynamics of people–environment interactions.
Given the lack of gender focus in the field, this research topic aims to put together current research on gender and psychological processes and outcomes (e.g., health and behaviors) in people–environment interactions. The aim is to advance research on gender in environmental psychology by assembling research on a broad range of topics where gender plays a role. These studies may have an interest in gender-related socio-cultural norms, attitudes, and behaviors; gender roles and relations (e.g., childcare responsibilities), gender stereotypes (what is socio-culturally appropriate for women); and sex-related biological attributes to understand e.g., effects of restorative environments as well as adverse effects of environmental design and exposure. In addition, it may improve the understanding of gender-related differences in pro-environmental behaviors and activism, as well as people’s risk perceptions, mitigation, and adaptation-oriented activities toward climate change.
Specific themes include, among others:
1. Gender-specific outcomes of people-environments transactions (e.g. restorative outcomes, health and wellbeing, contact with nature). Research on several types of environments (natural, urban, home, and indoor settings) and health outcomes (restorative benefits, wider mental health benefits) is welcome, including the role of building design.
2. Gender and pro-environmental behaviors, covering a broad range of diverse pro-environmental behaviors, including land stewardship and lifestyle behaviors, with an impact on e.g., climate change, biodiversity, pollution, and natural resource utilization. The theme also covers women’s leadership in environmental and climate change activism.
3. Gender inequalities in adverse effects of environmental design and exposure (including climate change). Research on the challenges associated with adapting to and mitigating environmental factors is also welcome.
4. Any other women and environment topic, including feminist methodologies and intersectional approaches in environmental psychology.
Given the lack of gender focus in the field, this research topic aims to put together current research on gender and psychological processes and outcomes (e.g., health and behaviors) in people–environment interactions. The aim is to advance research on gender in environmental psychology by assembling research on a broad range of topics where gender plays a role. These studies may have an interest in gender-related socio-cultural norms, attitudes, and behaviors; gender roles and relations (e.g., childcare responsibilities), gender stereotypes (what is socio-culturally appropriate for women); and sex-related biological attributes to understand e.g., effects of restorative environments as well as adverse effects of environmental design and exposure. In addition, it may improve the understanding of gender-related differences in pro-environmental behaviors and activism, as well as people’s risk perceptions, mitigation, and adaptation-oriented activities toward climate change.
Specific themes include, among others:
1. Gender-specific outcomes of people-environments transactions (e.g. restorative outcomes, health and wellbeing, contact with nature). Research on several types of environments (natural, urban, home, and indoor settings) and health outcomes (restorative benefits, wider mental health benefits) is welcome, including the role of building design.
2. Gender and pro-environmental behaviors, covering a broad range of diverse pro-environmental behaviors, including land stewardship and lifestyle behaviors, with an impact on e.g., climate change, biodiversity, pollution, and natural resource utilization. The theme also covers women’s leadership in environmental and climate change activism.
3. Gender inequalities in adverse effects of environmental design and exposure (including climate change). Research on the challenges associated with adapting to and mitigating environmental factors is also welcome.
4. Any other women and environment topic, including feminist methodologies and intersectional approaches in environmental psychology.
Keywords: Health, pro-environmental behaviors, environmental design, gender roles and relations, gender norms, gender stereotypes, gender inequalities, environmental activism
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
