A comparative examination of eco-anxiety and ecological citizenship levels of individuals from different generations in the context of green social work

Objective: This study examines the levels of eco-anxiety and ecological citizenship among individuals from the Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z cohorts within the framework of green social work, considering a range of contextual variables. Method: The study employs a mixed-methods research design, integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches. The quantitative component includes a sample of 1,035 participants from various regions of Turkey, whereas the qualitative component employed a snowball sampling method, including 31 participants from Istanbul, Manavgat (Antalya), Bozkurt (Kastamonu), and Gedikler Village (Uşak). Quantitative data were gathered using a demographic questionnaire, the Eco-Anxiety Scale, and the Ecological Citizenship Scale, while qualitative data were obtained using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher. In the quantitative data analysis, ANOVA and decision tree techniques—a method within data mining—were employed, whereas qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The quantitative analyses were conducted using SPSS 23 and JMP, while MAXQDA 24 was used for qualitative data analysis. Findings and Conclusion: The quantitative analysis revealed a weak yet positive correlation between eco-anxiety and ecological citizenship scores. Decision tree analysis indicated that, among Baby Boomers, the most significant factors for eco-anxiety were the number of children and education level, whereas for Generation X, the key variable was the number of children. Among Generation Y, membership in an environmental organization was the most significant factor, while for Generation Z, gender and income played a crucial role. Similarly, the most important variables associated with ecological citizenship were education level and place of residence for Baby Boomers, marital status and gender for Generation X, membership in an environmental organization and gender for Generation Y, and education level and region of residence for Generation Z. Qualitative findings highlighted that environmental issues constituted a major source of concern and psychological distress across all generational cohorts. Additionally, the most commonly reported ecological citizenship behavior among all generations was conserving water and energy.