Public Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Domestic Climate Migrants and Migration in the U.S.

Author

Brittany Shae Harris, Utah State UniversityFollow

Date of Award:

8-2023

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Environment and Society

Committee Chair(s)

Peter D. Howe

Committee

Peter D. Howe

Committee

Mark Brunson

Committee

Brent Chamberlain

Committee

Claudia Radel

Committee

Erin Hofmann

Abstract

Increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events due to global climate change have an important effect on human migration and relocation. Short-term extreme weather events like floods and wildfires are likely to continue to displace people. Long-term environmental changes like droughts and increasing temperatures may also contribute to increased human migration. This research aimed to better understand how people in the U.S. perceive domestic climate migrants, and what drives these perceptions. First, I investigated the relationship between public climate change risk perceptions and attitudes and perceptions about domestic climate migrants and migration. I found that people tend to rely on pre-existing climate change risk perceptions as they form attitudes toward domestic climate migrants and migration. Next, I examined the effects of spatial differences on perceptions and attitudes toward domestic climate migrants and migration. Across states, there was strong variation of these attitudes. I also found significant relationships between climate change risk perceptions and attitudes toward climate migrants at the state-level. Additionally, I identified states that converge and diverge from the relationship between climate change risk perceptions and attitudes toward climate migrants. Lastly, I evaluated the effects of climate migrant circumstances on perceived voluntariness (whether people think others are relocating voluntarily or involuntarily) and public support for relocation. The directness of climate change impacts and the extreme weather event incidence would occur were associated with perceived voluntariness of climate migrant relocation. Perceived voluntariness of relocation was a strong driver of public support for the development of climate migrant assistance programs in the U.S.

Checksum

be51a022b232e02f8f2113ce5837ba3a

Recommended Citation

Harris, Brittany Shae, "Public Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Domestic Climate Migrants and Migration in the U.S." (2023). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023. 8881.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/8881