Factors that influence the support of the Baekdu Daegan Mountain System as a World Heritage Site : a survey on local community from Namwon, Sangju and Inje

Abstract

This paper utilizes the Theory of Reasoned Action by Ajzen and Fishbein to investigate (1) local peoples attitude toward Baekdu Daegan Mountain System Protected Area and their intention to support it

(2) attitude toward Baekdu Daegan Mountain System as a World Heritage Site and their intention to support it. A field survey of 239 local people from Namwon, Sangju and Inje area was done to explore the factors that influenced the attitude towards the Baekdu Daegan Mountain System Protected Area. For the first part, 26 questions were categorized into economic, cultural, social and ecological groups. Attitude was hypothesized as dependent variable and the four (economic, cultural, social and ecological) factors as independent variable. Results show that economic factors had positive influence and ecological factors had negative influence on the attitude toward Baekdu Daegan Mountain System Protected Area. However by region the factors differed: cultural and social had positive influence on the attitude toward BDMS Protected Area in Namwon area

and in Inje only social factors had influence on the attitude toward BDMS Protected Area. To measure local peoples intention on their support for the BDMS Protected Area, intention was hypothesized as dependent variable and attitude as independent variable. Results showed that the attitude had positive influence on their intention on support for the BDMS Protected Area. For the second part, six questions from the 26 questions (one from economic and cultural factor each and two from social and ecological factor each) were extracted. Attitude was hypothesized as dependent variable and the 6 questions as independent variable. Factors that influenced local peoples attitude toward Baekdu Daegan Mountain System as a World Heritage Site were local economy improvement regional pride and restrictions on development. To measure local peoples intention to support the BDMS as World Heritage Site, intention was hypothesized as dependent variable and attitude as independent variable. Results show that attitude positively influence their intention to support for the BDMS as a World Heritage Site. Local people expect some positive changes upon the BDMS designation as a World Heritage Site, which means that if government was to put more effort in promoting the BDMS as a World Heritage Site and meeting the demand of local peoples needs the designation process will be much easier.