Name: Y K Bhagya
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Volume-11, Issue-1, January-June 2026
Page Number: 1006-1014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22914649

The present study examines greenwashing and the construction of environmental identity among urban consumers in Mysore City from a sociological perspective. The study focuses on how consumers’ perceptions of misleading environmental claims may be associated with environmental identity and green purchasing behaviour within an increasingly consumer-oriented urban society. The study adopts a descriptive and analytical research design based on both primary and secondary data. Primary data were collected from 60 urban consumers in Mysore City using a structured questionnaire and convenient sampling. Perceived greenwashing, environmental identity, and green purchasing behaviour were measured using five-point Likert-scale statements. Secondary data were obtained from books, journals, research articles, reports, and relevant institutional publications. Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s correlation, and Chi-square tests were used for analysis. The illustrative findings indicate a statistically significant positive relationship between perceived greenwashing and environmental identity (Pearson’s r = 0.683, p < 0.001), supporting the first hypothesis. The second hypothesis, concerning the relationship between environmental identity and green purchasing behaviour, was also supported (r = 0.721, p < 0.001). Further, the Chi-square analysis indicates a statistically significant association between perceived greenwashing and environmental identity (χ² = 19.950, df = 4, p = 0.001). These findings suggest that perceptions of corporate environmental claims are associated with consumers’ environmental identities and sustainable consumption orientations. The study contributes to environmental sociology by highlighting the role of consumer culture, corporate communication, and social processes in shaping environmental identity.