E-Thesis 247 views
Culture as a Factor for the Circular Economy: A Culture Based Development Perspective / Yashi Jain
Swansea University Author: Yashi Jain
DOI (Published version): 10.23889/SUthesis.69888
Abstract
This thesis explores the role of culture in driving the transition towards a Circular Economy through the lens of the Culture-Based Development (CBD) paradigm. The research addresses the fundamental question: Is the Circular Economy influenced by local cultural preferences? While existing circular e...
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Swansea, Wales, UK
2025
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| Institution: | Swansea University |
| Degree level: | Doctoral |
| Degree name: | Ph.D |
| Supervisor: | Asproudis, lias ; Tubadji, Annie |
| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69888 |
| Abstract: |
This thesis explores the role of culture in driving the transition towards a Circular Economy through the lens of the Culture-Based Development (CBD) paradigm. The research addresses the fundamental question: Is the Circular Economy influenced by local cultural preferences? While existing circular economy frameworks predominantly emphasise technological innovation, policy, and resource efficiency, this study highlights the overlooked yet the pivotal role of local cultural capital in shaping individual and collective ecological behaviours. The cultural capital includes both inherited cultural heritage and contemporary cultural practices referred to as living culture. The thesis structure is built around three main chapters, each focusing on different yet interconnected aspects of the culture and Circular Economy. The first chapter investigates how local cultural capital shapes individual ecological attitudes and entrepreneurial actions, which, in turn, drives systemic shifts toward circular economic practices. The second chapter studies the intertemporal relation between public good preferences, exploring how environmental concerns are connected to health-related decisions, such as vaccination, during the COVID-19 pandemic. The third chapter takes a step forward and adopts a cross-country perspective. It examines the shared patterns and trends of public good provision across varying levels of data aggregation. The econometric methods employed in this thesis include Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Ordinary Least Square (OLS), Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS), Three-Stage Least Square (3SLS) and hierarchical modelling. The thesis synthesises data from India, the UK, and a global dataset covering 147 countries. The findings highlight the importance of cultural preferences in shaping ecological and social welfare behaviours. Regions with higher levels of cultural capital are more likely to adopt circular economy principles and show a more significant commitment to public goods. This research offers evidence-based insights and introduces a novel cultural perspective to sustainability literature. |
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| Item Description: |
ORCiD identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7472-1183 |
| Keywords: |
Circular Economy, Culture Based Development, Public goods preferences, Emotion, Public choice |
| College: |
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences |