Anderson Thesis Final 12-7-15

138 Pages·2015·1.05 MB·English

GREEN CRIMINOLOGICAL CONCERNS & PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEFS
by

ALEXANDER ALLEN ANDERSON

Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of
The University of Texas at Arlington in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements
for the Degree of

MASTER OF ARTS IN CRIMINOLOGY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
December 2015
Copyright © by Alexander Allen Anderson 2015
All Rights Reserved

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Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my parents, William and
LeVonna, whose endless education, love, and support provided a framework for
which my entire learning would not be possible without. I will always be thankful
to have both of them in my life.
I would like to extend a very special appreciation to my wonderful thesis
committee: Jaya Davis, Karel Carpenter, and Patricia Eddings and my academic
advisor: Rhonda Dobbs. Their commitment to my success at the University of
Texas at Arlington is unparalleled. I would also like to offer a special
commendation to Karel Carpenter, whose dynamic spirit and extensive expertise
in the field encouraged my progression within the subject of criminology and
criminal justice at the University of Texas at Arlington.
I would like to thank my life-long friends, whose support is never ending
and always appreciated. I would also like to thank the great people I have met on
the journey through the graduate program, especially Anabel.
November 12, 2015

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Abstract
GREEN CRIMINOLOGICAL CONCERNS & PHILOSOPHICAL BELIEFS

Alexander Allen Anderson, MA

The University of Texas at Arlington, 2015

Supervising Professor: Jaya Davis
The purpose of this research project was to test the philosophical
argument that people who maintained a dualistic mindset or sustained a belief in
the existence of the soul would be less concerned with environmental crime. A
survey was collected from a sample of 332 individuals at the University of Texas
at Arlington in Arlington, Texas. The survey asked individuals to select on a likert
scale how concerned they were with environmental harm. Preceding these,
individuals were asked to answer either yes, no, or I don’t know on questions
concerning their philosophical beliefs, looking for indicators of dualistic thinking
and a belief in existence of the soul. These questions were analyzed using
independent-samples t-test and chi-squared test for association to see if a
statistically significant difference or association existed. The findings from the
analyses indicated, overall, no statistically significant difference or association
existed for almost every test conducted between the dependent variable, concern
for environmental crime, and the independent variable, questions indicating
dualistic thinking or a maintained belief in the existence of the soul. Additional
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independent-samples t-test were performed, looking to see if a statistically
significant difference existed for the level of concern for environmental crime
particular individuals had in the following categories: gender, college major,
religion, and parents’ highest level of education. An increased level of concern for
environmental crime was observed in females, students majoring in biology, and
individual’s whose parents earned a college degree. No statistically significant
difference existed for the level of concern for environmental crime between
Christians and non-religious individuals.

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ................................................................................... iii
Abstract ..................................................................................................... iv
List of Illustrations ..................................................................................... vii
List of Tables ............................................................................................. xi
Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................... 1
Chapter 2 Literature Review ...................................................................... 8
Chapter 3 Research Question & Methodology ........................................ 18
Chapter 4 Findings .................................................................................. 34
Chapter 5 Conclusion ............................................................................ 123
References ............................................................................................ 125
Biographical Information ........................................................................ 127

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List of Illustrations
Figure 1-1 Concern for Environmental Crime .......................................... 35
Figure 1-2 Concern for Environmental Crime without Outliers ................ 37
Figure 2-1 Crimes Committed Against Nature ......................................... 54
Figure 2-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 55
Figure 2-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 56
Figure 2-4 Men and Women Similar ........................................................ 57
Figure 2-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................... 58
Figure 2-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ........................... 59
Figure 2-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ....................................... 60
Figure 3-1 Crimes the Harm the Environment ......................................... 60
Figure 3-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 61
Figure 3-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 62
Figure 3-4 Men and Women Similar ........................................................ 63
Figure 3-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................... 64
Figure 3-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ........................... 65
Figure 3-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ....................................... 66
Figure 4-1 Environment is Affected by Products ..................................... 67
Figure 4-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 68
Figure 4-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 69
Figure 4-4 Men and Women Similar ........................................................ 70
Figure 4-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................... 71
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Figure 4-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ........................... 72
Figure 4-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ....................................... 73
Figure 5-1 Pollution of Drinking Water ..................................................... 73
Figure 5-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 74
Figure 5-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 75
Figure 5-4 Men and Women Similar ........................................................ 76
Figure 5-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................... 77
Figure 5-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ........................... 78
Figure 5-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ....................................... 79
Figure 6-1 Pollution of Rivers and Lakes ................................................. 79
Figure 6-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 80
Figure 6-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 81
Figure 6-4 Men and Women Similar ........................................................ 82
Figure 6-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................... 83
Figure 6-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ........................... 84
Figure 6-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ....................................... 85
Figure 7-1 Contamination of Soil and Water ............................................ 85
Figure 7-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 86
Figure 7-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 87
Figure 7-4 Men and Women Similar ........................................................ 88
Figure 7-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................... 89
Figure 7-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ........................... 90
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Figure 7-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ....................................... 91
Figure 8-1 Air Pollution ............................................................................ 91
Figure 8-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 92
Figure 8-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 93
Figure 8-4 Men and Women Similar ........................................................ 94
Figure 8-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................... 95
Figure 8-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ........................... 96
Figure 8-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ....................................... 97
Figure 9-1 Loss of Rainforests ................................................................ 97
Figure 9-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ................................ 98
Figure 9-3 Soul Separate from the Body ................................................. 99
Figure 9-4 Men and Women Similar ...................................................... 100
Figure 9-5 People are Either Good or Evil ............................................. 101
Figure 9-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ......................... 102
Figure 9-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ..................................... 103
Figure 10-1 Extinction of Plant and Animal Species .............................. 103
Figure 10-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ............................ 104
Figure 10-3 Soul Separate from the Body ............................................. 105
Figure 10-4 Men and Women Similar .................................................... 106
Figure 10-5 People are Either Good or Evil ........................................... 107
Figure 10-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ....................... 108
Figure 10-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ................................... 109
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Figure 11-1 Global Warming ................................................................. 109
Figure 11-2 Mind and Body are Two Distinct Entities ............................ 110
Figure 11-3 Soul Separate from the Body ............................................. 111
Figure 11-4 Men and Women Similar .................................................... 112
Figure 11-5 People are Either Good or Evil ........................................... 113
Figure 11-6 Opinions Spoken are Either True or Untrue ....................... 114
Figure 11-7 Civilization is the Mastery of Nature ................................... 115

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