Perceived social cohesion and littering control behavior in China: The mediating role of subjective social status

Abstract

Littering is a serious social issue in China, even though residents disapprove of this behavior. When residents live in communities with high social cohesion, residents may stop other residents from littering; this is referred to as littering control behavior. We use collective efficacy theory to discuss the association between perceived social cohesion and littering control behavior in China. Perceived social cohesion consists of social relationship density, social trust, and social support, which can promote littering control behavior and thus achieve collective efficacy. Using binary logistic regression and mediation analyses, we address this question via the 2018 wave of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (n = 4808). We find that perceived social cohesion is positively associated with littering control behavior. We also find that subjective social status may be a mediating mechanism through which perceived social cohesion promotes littering control behavior. For governments, policies to stop littering should address social cohesion and improve residents’ subjective social status.