Exploring the Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Farmers’ Participation in Rural Living Environmental Governance Behavior—Evidence from Jiangsu Province, China

The participation of farmers in environmental governance is not simply the behavior choice of individuals but is also influenced by their socioeconomic status (SES). Using survey data from 2088 peasant households in Jiangsu Province, China, this study used the ordered probit model to identify the differential impacts of objective socioeconomic status (OSES) and subjective socioeconomic status (SSES) on farmers’ participation in rural living environmental governance behavior (FPLEB). The mediation effect model was also used to explore the mediating role of environmental cognition in the relationship between SES and FPLEB. The results reveal that (1) SES (i.e., OSES and SSES) is a positive factor affecting farmers’ involvement in improving their living environment, with SSES demonstrating a stronger correlation with efforts to enhance rural living conditions than OSES, (2) environmental knowledge and pollution cognition serve as mediating factors, bridging the effect of OSES on the level of participation in environmental governance, and (3) SES (i.e., OSES and SSES) is more effective in fostering future-oriented environmental governance behaviors among farmers than those with a present-oriented mindset.