Gender differences in values among representatives of the millennial generation

Abstract

This article examines gender differences in basic individual values among representatives of the millennial generation and older generations. Values are stable characteristics of a person that determine goals, judgments, actions, and behavior. The structure of values depends on various factors, such as age, gender, social status, education, etc. Generational differences influencing the formation of values are of particular interest. The main focus of the work is aimed at studying the generation of millennials, who now make up the most active part of the population. In total, the study involved 949 people, 528 women and 421 men aged 18 to 70 years. The respondents were divided into 3 groups according to the years of their birth: the generation of stagnation (315 people, 46 % women), the reform generation (310 people, 61 % women), the generation of millennials (324 people, 59 % women). The Portrait Questionnaire by S. Schwartz was used to assess personal values. The questionnaire reveals 10 basic values: Security, Conformity, Tradition, Self-Direction, Stimulation, Hedonism, Achievement, Power, Benevolence, and Universalism. The main results of the study include the identified gender differences in the group of millennials in the Self-Direction, Security, and Power. Men of the reform generation (who grew up in the 1990s) have significantly higher preference of Stimulation than women of the reform generation and representatives of the generation of stagnation. Conformity, Tradition, Hedonism, and Achievement have the same value among men and women regardless of age in our society. In general, compared to older generations, young millennials prefer the values of Self-Enhancement and Openness to Change as opposed to the values of Conservation and Self-Transcendence.