Schwartz’ human values framework is well established in the social sciences, but the area is still vibrant. Important novel streams of research are value heterogeneity within and between groups, emphasis on individuals’ value profiles instead of single values, and changes in values over time. With his 21-item instrument, Schwartz’ human values have been in the European Social Survey (ESS) across over 30 countries in all rounds from 2002 onwards. Lately, the values have also been included in the ESS-based surveys in Australia and South Africa.
The values in the ESS have given us not only insight into the values of individuals but also in how human values shape attitudes and behaviors. The ESS values data have been used in studies focusing on into peoples’ well-being, attitudes towards the environment, attitudes towards immigrants, political choice, entrepreneurship, and gender attitudes to name a few. In addition to studies on the impact of values on societal issues, researchers have also studied the values structure itself. Topics included amongst others the structure of human values across countries and studies assessing measurement invariance of the human values in the ESS across countries.
Research on values is still vibrant. Methodological topics are still in development as, e.g., the issue of measurement invariance is not fully resolved. Moreover, academics and also policy makers are more and more interested in peoples’ values and in particular in how they differ across groups within and across societies.
Recent research is social psychology has shown that despite being quite stable values still change over time and in particular in younger age groups. Values were found to change till about 30 years of age and then stabilise. As the ESS includes many waves and covers a 20-year period this provides opportunities not only to assess change between birth cohorts, but also allows us to assess this change across groups that are more than 20 years apart.
In the symposium we are open to many contributions related to changes in Schwartz’ human values over time and these can be either substantive or methodological.
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Gender typicality in values and parenthood in the European Social Survey 2002-2020
Florencia Sortheix, Rasmus Mannerstrom, Ville-Juhani Ilmarinen, Katariina Salmela-Aro
University of Helsinki, Finland
Using data from ten rounds of the European Social Survey 2002-2020 (n = 158,126) across 32 European countries, Russia, Turkey and Israel, we examined whether a feminine or masculine value profile (gender typicality) was related to having children. To assess gender typicality, we employed a novel measure that assesses the value profile of each individual and whether it is typically masculine or feminine. Multilevel logistic regression results showed that, as expected, male-typical values were related to not having children for men and women. In turn, having female-typical values was related to higher chances of having children for both. The association between holding high male-typical values and not having children was stronger in the Nordic countries, and also among women in more religious countries. The proportion of individuals not having children increased through the ESS waves. Time, however, did not influence the association between gender typicality and having children for either men or women. Our results suggest that the association between values and fertility has remained similar for the last 20 years.
Digitalization, value change, and political consumerism in Europe
Ole Kelm, Marco Dohle
Heinrich Heine University Duesseldorf, Germany
People in many European countries engage in political consumerism, which involves boycotting or deliberately buying products and services based on political, ethical, or ecological reasons (Boulianne et al., 2022; Stolle & Micheletti, 2013). Scholars argue that digitalization and value change are central drivers of this trend (e.g., Copeland & Atkinson, 2016). Digitalization has expanded opportunities for accessing information, connecting with like-minded others, and consuming alternative products and services (Kelm & Dohle, 2018). Additionally, the shift from materialistic and self-enhancement values to post-materialistic and self-transcendence values has heightened the importance of the "politics of products" (Micheletti, 2010). Some survey studies indeed indicate positive correlations between political consumerism and digital media use (e.g., Kelm, 2023) as well as post-materialistic/self-transcendence values (e.g., Koos, 2012; Leissner, 2023). However, it remains unclear whether the country’s level of digitalization or whether the society’s prevailing values can account for the substantial differences in political consumerism behavior between countries. Moreover, it is unclear whether the relationships between political consumerism, digitalization, and values at the micro and macro level change over time.
To address these gaps, a comparative multi-level trend analysis utilizing data from the European Social Survey (ESS) was conducted. The ESS, a cross-national survey conducted biennially since 2002, provides representative samples of populations aged 15 and above residing within private households. Data from all ten waves are available for 15 countries. Political consumerism was assessed in all waves by asking respondents whether they had boycotted products within the last 12 months. Digital media use was measured in eight survey waves by asking participants how often they used the Internet. Self-transcendence values were measured in all waves using the human values scale (Schwartz, 2007). Moreover, aggregated country-level data on digital media use and self-transcendence values were included as macro variables. Various control variables at micro- and macro-level were also considered. The analyses were weighted in accordance with ESS recommendations.
The findings reveal an increasing use of digital media across all countries. Despite notable exceptions, such as Hungary, participation in boycotts and self-transcendence values have also increased. Multi-level logistic regressions indicate consistent positive associations between individual-level digital media use, self-transcendence values and boycott participation across all survey waves. Furthermore, different levels of self-transcendence account for differences between countries regarding their boycott engagement, whereas different levels of digitalization do not. The results hardly change between 2002 and 2020.
The study has limitations, such as the simple measurement of digital media usage. However, as the variables have been measured almost consistently over many years in many countries, comparative trend analyses are possible. The results confirm that besides people’s values, their digital media use is important for engaging in political consumerism activities. Although the opportunities of the Internet have changed considerably in recent decades, and the effect of digital media use on political participation in general is increasing according to survey studies (Boulianne, 2020), the relationship between digital media use and political consumerism in Europe remains fairly constant over time. Further implications of the results will be discussed at the conference.
In search of the cultural roots of the Human Values: The pre-industrial family systems.
Inés Gil-Torras
European University Institute, Italy
In this paper, I delve into the dynamic relationship between culture and the formation of human values, questioning whether pre-industrial family systems' cultural roots persist in contemporary values. Merging Emmanuel Todd's historical family taxonomy with Schwartz's Theory of Basic Human Values, I aim to contribute to the understanding of the enduring influence of past familial frameworks on present-day values.
Theoretical I use a reevaluation of Todd's theory, exploring how the four historical family structures that he describes in Europe should contribute to today's value landscape.
Methodologically, I use Duranton et al.'s (2009) data to map historical family systems regionally (NUTS 3 and NUTS 2), uncovering nuanced variations. To measure the Human values, I use the ten waves of the European Social Survey (ESS). I test the hypotheses across 14 European countries.
In conclusion, the findings of this study suggest that while there is no perfect alignment between the theoretical predictions and the human values scales, certain trends emerge. Each historical family type seems to have a characteristic positioning in the Human Values Scales. Nuclear Egalitarian and Communitarian family systems tend to align more closely with Todd's expectations, whereas Absolute Nuclear and Stem families deviate further from these predictions. Despite discrepancies, the classification of family systems on the human value scale remains consistent. This nuanced understanding underscores the complexity of the interplay between historical family structures and contemporary values, offering insights into the enduring legacies shaping societal norms and individual value orientations.
Transgenerational Effects of Value Orientation in the Context of Forced Migration After World War II - A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Value Types among Displaced and Refugee Families from Silesia and Their Descendants
Fady Guirgis, Maria Borcsa
katho NRW, Germany
Introduction: values change, and the transmission of values have been increasingly scrutinized in many sciences in recent years. However, this was not sufficiently addressed in the context of forced migration, and there are hardly any empirical studies in this regard.
Method: This research, which constitutes my master's thesis, seeks to address this gap by employing a mixed-methods design. A sample consisting of (N = 746) displaced individuals from Silesia and their descendants is being analysed to explore their value types. The primary measurement tool utilized is the “Portraits Value Questionnaire” (PVQ-21). By leveraging ESS data, the value orientation of the respondents is compared to that of the population in Germany. Additionally, qualitative data were employed to investigate potential influences on the development of value types among displaced individuals and the transmission of values among the second and third generations.
Results: The findings indicate that displaced persons demonstrate higher values in Tradition, Conformity, Achievement, Stimulation, and Universalism compared to individuals of the same generation in the German population. Notably, displaced families spanning three generations consistently exhibit an above-average prevalence of the Universalism value type. In contrast, the Hedonism value type records below-average levels compared to the German population.
Conclusion: The experience of displacement emerges as a significant factor shaping the values orientation of the displaced individuals. The values of Conformity and Achievement serve as means to attain social recognition and act as defence mechanisms against discrimination in the host country. Simultaneously, the heightened significance of Tradition and Universalism values is associated with the loss of homeland experienced by the displaced population. This study contributes valuable insights into the nuanced interplay between forced migration experiences and the evolution of individual and familial value systems.
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