The Asian Values Thesis Revisited : A Comparative Study of South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia and Thailand

Abstract

Using data from the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS), this study compares across five Asian countries (i.e., South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Thailand) the extent to which Asian values are endorsed by adolescents, and whether such Asian values are incompatible with support for democracy. Findings lend support to the argument of modernization theory that countries with increasing modernization are characterized by the decline of traditional norms and their replacement with values that are tolerant and democratic. The evidence also suggests inconsistent relationships between democratic commitments and six measures of Asian values, and thus contradicts the “culture is destiny” argument offered by proponents of the Asian values thesis. The author concludes that if the Asian region seeks to promote further democracy, it should focus on the question of what institutional efforts can advance democratic norms among its citizens, not on the static, essentialist view of culture.