ENVIRONMENTAL ORIENTATION OF THE YOUTH: BETWEEN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND TEHNOCENTRISM

Abstract

This paper is based on the results of a empirical research that has been carried out at four faculties of University of Osijek,
on the occasional sample of 276 students. The basic aim of the research was to establish the structure of respondents'
views on preserving a healthy environment and on the survival of civilization in the context of ecological crisis. In order
to establish whether the respondents perceive the ecological crisis and the crisis of civilization in a technocentric way or
they connect them with the concept of sustainable development, four hypotheses were put forward. The statistical analysis
suggests that technocentric orientation is relatively rare i.e. that the orientation on sustainable development is much more
often present in the respondents’ attitudes. The research also showed that the respondents who are oriented towards
sustainable development largely acknowledge its multidimensionality i.e. its socio-cultural as well as ecological
components, and that Slavonia and Baranja is still a region where everyday life and economic development are connected
with rural communities, nature and agriculture.