One and Not the Same

Abstract

Values are trans-situational, but little is known about their differential consistency across situations. We studied the cross-context correlations of value importance in six adolescent groups across Israel (Jewish majority, former Soviet-Union [FSU] immigrants, and Arab minority) and Germany (majority, FSU, and Turkish immigrants).Values were elicited for several contexts: family, school, and country of residence. Self-direction, achievement, conformity, and benevolence values in the family, the school, and the country of residence contexts revealed a moderately positive correlation among majority members (Study 1). A similar pattern was found for minority members (Study 2), suggesting that values are consistent in their rank order, but vary in importance based on circumstances. Study 2 also investigated minority members’ values in the ethnic context. In Israel, these values correlated positively with values in other contexts. In Germany, self-direction and conformity values in the ethnic context correlated negatively with the same values in other contexts (e.g., self-direction values in the student context and the ethnic context correlated negatively). The cultural environment is therefore relevant to value-system coherence.