Gesellschaftliche Wertorientierungen und politisches Verhalten / Social value orientations and political behavior

Abstract

Abstract Social value orientations are introduced as a central set of variables for theories of voting behavior. Voting behavior is used as an example for a class of models which can demonstrate the linkage between social structure and individual behavior. Social value orientations are analytically defined and examined in relationship with related and complementary concepts like interests. Theoretically based on the AGIL paradigm, a comprehensive sample of indicators of social values is drawn from appropriate attitude scales. The structure of value orientations is empirically delineated by a multidimensional scaling procedure using the correlations between the indicators as input. Knowing this structure it is possible to construct a parsimonious set of eight scales of value orientations. Canonical correlations and discriminant analysis are the procedures used to relate this set with social structural antecedents and political attitudes and behavior as presumed consequences. The empirical analysis is based on data from the Jülich community study.