ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY, URBANIZATION AND RECREATIONAL AREAS

A healthy environment is a precondition for living creatures to live a healthy life. Building a healthy environment is possible only with people who are sensitive to environment where they live and who act accordingly. Today; human beings are extremely concerned about whether or not they can pass a livable environment down to future generations. Particularly as a result of over-population and urbanization after the industrial revolution; numerous environmental changes have occurred but negative outcomes have gained importance in recreational areas. This study aimed at to investigate environmental sensitivity of individuals who regularly used recreational areas. In the study, the Environmental Sensitivity scale, Leisure Attitude Scale and Information Request Form were used. 662 people (xage: 21.69 ±3.72; 321 Male, 341 Female) join the study who were selected using random sampling from 4 different Turkish universities. For the analyses of the data; descriptive statistics as well as One-Way ANOVA and Independent Samples T-Test and regression analysis were employed. According to findings, highest score was obtained in recommendation subdimension of environmental sensitivity scale whereas lowest score was obtained in personal behavior. As participation in recreational areas increased, so did subscale scores in Environmental Sensitivity Scale. It may be argued that participating individuals were knowledgeable of how they could fight against environmental pollution but they were not equally able to put this knowledge into practice. There was a moderate and positive correlation between environmental sensitivity and leisure attitude and environmental sensitivity differed in terms of gender, university types and recreational areas preferred.