Climate Change Imaginaries and Political Affiliation among Students at the National University of Salta

Abstract

This article aims to analyze social imaginaries about climate change among students at the National University of Salta (UNSa), with the goal of identifying links between disciplinary training and political affinity. This study uses a quantitative approach with a descriptive and exploratory framework, utilizing an online survey method. The questionnaire included closed-ended and multiple-choice questions, organized into three blocks: socio-demographic data, perceptions of climate change, and political affinity. Completed by 193 students from six faculties, the analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics (frequencies and contingency tables).

Key results: there is a consensus on the anthropogenic nature of climate change, linked to pollution and ecosystem destruction, and an assertion that states should implement mitigation policies. Disciplinary training does not determine these imaginaries, which are transversal across faculties. Regarding politics, most do not align with any space, though some faculties show a liberal inclination, in tension with the negationist discourses of their leading figures. In conclusion, the relevance of human causes and the need for state action are recognized, but competing political perceptions coexist, indicating a disconnect between environmental awareness and civic positioning.