Social value orientations and public confidence in institutions: A young democracy under the imprint of COVID-19

Aishath Zeen Naeem,Raheema Abdul Raheem,Sheena Moosa,Hawwa Shiuna Musthafa,Aminath Riyaz

doi:10.5130/ccs.v13.i2.7548

Aishath Zeen Naeem, Raheema Abdul Raheem + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.5130/ccs.v13.i2.7548

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Abstract

Social value orientations (SVOs) of a society determine peoples' behaviour and are critical for young democracies in crises. This paper draws on the Maldives Values in Crisis survey, conducted during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. SVOs assessed using the Schwartz Personal Values Questionnaire shows that Maldivian society weigh slightly towards prosocial. Urban-rural, age, and gender determine the SVOs on the dimension of Openness to change versus Conservation while age and gender determine the SVOs on Self-enhancement versus Self-transcendence dimension. Confidence in the public institutions were moderate and not associated with the SVOs. The moderate level of SVOs and confidence in institutions reflects the democratic landscape of the country. Although prosocial SVOs are favourable for implementing containment measures of the pandemic, without a strong value orientation towards conservation and self-transcendence, and confidence in the institutions, the country faces the risk of non-compliance to measures and escalation of the crisis.

Highlights

Social value orientations (SVO) determine how people judge situations and behave in a social setting
Prosocial SVOs are favourable for implementing containment measures of the pandemic, without a strong value orientation towards conservation and self-transcendence, and confidence in the institutions, the country faces the risk of non-compliance to measures and escalation of the crisis
The findings suggest that, despite the tensions associated with the accelerated development, the social value orientations observed during the crisis continue to be prosocial and there is not a significant difference between those that hold individualistic values with regard to confidence in the government and institutions or the behaviour in relation to the public health measures

Summary

Introduction

Social value orientations (SVO) determine how people judge situations and behave in a social setting. It has been posited that short-term adjustments occur in response to situational changes during the life course (Kuczynski, Marshall and Schell 1997; Pailhé et al 2014). Based on this understanding, rapid changes in SVOs are unlikely under usual circumstances, but adaptations are likely in the unusual circumstances of a pandemic. Rapid changes in SVOs are unlikely under usual circumstances, but adaptations are likely in the unusual circumstances of a pandemic This position has significant implications in a crisis situation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, where containment measures limit democratic rights of the people and challenge the predominant SVOs (Alford 2017)

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