Postmaterialist Values Research Articles

Barriers to enduring pro-environmental behaviour change among Chinese students returning home from the UK: a social practice perspective

ABSTRACT This paper explores the phenomenon of international student migration, as a potential site for pro-environmental behaviour change. It draws on qualitative focus group data collected from a sample of Chinese people who had studied in the UK and since returned to China. The findings show that living in the UK led to spillover of some pro-environmental behaviours, but most of these changes were not sustained upon return to China. Employing a framework from social practice, the findings show that the desire to ‘fit in’ with the social norms of a host country are powerful in creating change, without requiring normative engagement with sustainability. However, the findings also suggest that behavioural change will not endure after short-term migration without supportive social norms and where there are barriers to pro-environmental behaviours in the home country. The paper highlights what those specific barriers might be in contemporary China, with reference to cultural traditions of ‘mianzi’ and ‘guanxi’, government discourses which do not prioritise individual agency, and an absence of post-materialist values.

Assimilating Unidimensional and Multidimensional Models of Political Values

Michael Babula is an Assistant Professor in Psychology in the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences at Khalifa University. He holds a Ph.D. in Politics and Psychology (dual degree) from Goldsmiths, University of London. Glenn Muschert is Professor of Sociology in the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences at Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi. He holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Colorado. In his influential book The Silent Revolution, Inglehart (1977) used Maslow’s (1987) hierarchy of needs to classify associated political values according to a two tiered, unidimensional model. Since then, the debate has continued as social scientists studied the presence of materialist, survival-oriented values and postmaterialist values more concerned with freedom of expression and individuality. Among the dominant materialist values are protecting the economy, promoting a strong police force, and fighting crime, which Inglehart described as concerns with lower-order needs such as physical safety and the need for security. Among postmaterialist values are freedom of say at work, beautification of cities, and having a say in government, which Inglehart associated with intermediate- and higher-order needs on Maslow’s hierarchy, such as self-esteem, social recognition, and self-actualization. Eventually, Inglehart (1977) conceptualized the existence of materialist and postmaterialist values along a unidimensional continuum and departed from Maslow (1987) who did not view the needs hierarchy as unidimensional, but rather additive in that people satisfy lower-level needs prior to moving toward the satisfaction of intermediate- and higher-order needs. Since the first iteration of the World Values Survey (WVS) in 1981, political values measuring materialist versus postmaterialist concerns have been measured in a rankings-type variable in which the prioritization of one value necessitates the sublimation of another variable, and therefore measures values in a unidimensional scheme [see e.g., the latest iteration in Inglehart et al. (2014)].

Цифровизация образования: социально-педагогический эксперимент в социально-философском ракурсе

The introduction of components of distance education in terms of the current pandemic is seen as a rather unexpected but successful socio-pedagogical experiment on the way to global digital education. This article is aimed to emphasize the possibilities of using the distance learning format as a space and a means of continuous monitoring of the educational process. This format allows establishing countless feedbacks between the participants in the process, implementing a synergistic approach at the local and global levels. Some results obtained in the course of surveys conducted by the faculty of the Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Religious Studies in the KSPU named after V.P. Astafiev are cited. These results testify, in particular, to some positive changes in attitudes towards the realities of “the remote” by both teachers and students. Moreover, such polls help to correct the process in practice and can serve as tracers of a wide range of not only technological problems, but essentially socio-philosophical ones related to the emergence of a new system of values. The notion that the digitalization of education is a promising strategy generally contributing to the development of civilization towards the dominance of post-material values is promoted.

Уровень образования и ценностные ориентации в России

Education level is probably one of the main determinants of importance certain value orientations. This work aims to identify the most obvious and clearly traced links between the value orientations of Russians and the level of education. The analyzed materials of statistical surveys strongly support the idea that different levels of education influence value attitudes; as for the thesis that higher levels of education contribute to the transition from materialistic to post-materialistic values, this idea also finds confirmation, but only partially, since in a number of cases it is impossible to draw confident conclusions due to the peculiarities of the formulation of the question. As a first approximation, it seems that in modern Russian society for people with a high level of education it is more correct to speak not about the transition to post-materialistic values, but about a combination of traditional and post-materialistic values.

Achieving a post-growth green economy

A transformation in human values in a ‘post-materialist’ direction by middle-class youth around the world may be setting the stage for a new reality of near-zero economic growth and a sustainable and healthy global biosphere. Evidence from the World Values Survey suggests that a global expansion of post-material values and experiences leads to (1) a reduction in consumption-oriented activities, (2) a shift to more environmentally friendly forms of life that include living at higher, more energy efficient urban densities, and (3) active political support for environmental improvement. Such behavioral shifts provide a foundation for a turn to a slow-growth or even no-growth economy in comparatively affluent countries to the benefit of a healthier global biosphere. To set the stage for a ‘post-growth green economy’ that features climate stability and a substantially reduced ecological footprint, the timing is right for a ‘Green New Deal’ that focuses on de-carbonizing the global economy and has the side-benefit of fostering an economic recovery from the Covid-19 global recession currently underway. The financing of global decarbonization by the world’s wealthiest countries is affordable and could stimulate much needed economic improvements in developing countries by creating within them modern, efficient clean energy systems that can serve as a basis for increased economic prosperity. Such prosperity will in turn accelerate declines in population fertility and result ultimately in reduced global population growth.

Who Favors Education? Insights from the World Values Survey

Abstract Using World Values Survey data from 55 countries, this article provides detailed insights into the characteristics of people who place a high value on education – and into the characteristics of those who don’t. It finds that attitudes toward education vary across the following characteristics: educational attainment, income, social class, political position, postmaterialist values, religion, sex, age, ethnicity, marital status, number of children, family values and employment status. Countries’ average GDP per capita affects people’s views of education too. Whereas some results are in line with theoretical expectations and previous empirical research, others are surprising.

Something ‘Old’, Something ‘New’? The UK Space of Political Attitudes After the Brexit Referendum

This study focuses on the political attitudes of UK citizens in the aftermath of the ‘Brexit’ vote. It has been argued that differences within electorates across Europe are found in disputes over taxes, redistribution of wealth and social welfare, as much as in divergent ideas on how to deal with globalisation, migration, and climate change. This article uses the 2016–2017 round of the European Social Survey (N = 1959) to shed light on two important issues in regard to the relationship between ‘old’ and ‘new’ politics. By using multiple correspondence analysis, we first consider the structure, or dimensionality, of the space of political attitudes in contemporary UK society. Contrary to a prevailing discourse that forwards the argument that postmaterial values constitute an altogether separate political dimension in late modernity, we observe that such values collapse into traditional left/right standpoints. Second, we discuss the connection between class (economic capital, cultural capital, and occupational class) and position-takings in the space of political attitudes. We show that class retains a limited effect on political position-takings, where educational capital plays the most important role. The divisions between the politically interested–uninterested, old–young, men–women, and rural–urban are more clearly demarcated than differences between people of different social class positions. Furthermore, polarisation is most prevalent between a highly opinionated, relatively resourceful, small minority of the population.

Post-materialism’s Social Class Divide: Experiences and Life Satisfaction

Over last half of the twentieth century, a silent revolution in post-material values made significant advances around the world. The formation of post-material values also resulted in expanded participation in post-material experiences such as joining voluntary groups, pursuing creativity and independence in the world of work, and engaging in political actions—experiences that go beyond a strict focus on accumulating economic wealth and material possessions. Because social class position matters for being a post-materialist, a class divide exists between middle-class post-materialists and working-class materialists who occupy the lower end of the social class spectrum. This article will show that such a divide occurs, first for participation in post-material experiences and second for the attainment of life satisfaction. Using data from the World Values Survey, evidence will be provided in this article showing that members of the working class participate less in post-material experiences than others and, as a consequence, enjoy lower life satisfaction than others, especially post-materialists. In light of working-class-supported right-wing populism’s recent emergence in the USA and Europe, this social class divide takes on a special significance in explaining shifting trends in politics and public policy.

How critical are Germans of democracy? The pattern and origins of constitutional support in Germany

ABSTRACT Academic studies have consistently demonstrated that citizens have lost trust in democratic institutions, grown sceptical of elected leaders, and become dissatisfied with how democracy works. These studies, however, neglect the analysis of some of the most important objects of the democracies they analyse. A case in point is the German constitution (Basic Law), which prescribes the values of German democracy and the institutions through which they are realized. By analysing 28 years of individual-level data from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS), this article makes two important discoveries about attitudes towards the constitution. First, support for it is widespread, enduring and increasing amongst citizens in the east and west of the country. Second, generalized linear models demonstrate that this form of support is grounded in phenomena which provide it with durability. Postmaterialist values, centrist ideology, and age all nurture attachments to the constitution. These effects are confirmed by post-estimation analyses of average marginal effects. By demonstrating that German democracy is underpinned by a fund of enduring support, the research challenges suggestions of a crisis of democracy and concludes that Germans are not cynically rejecting of democracy, but critically democratic: they desire a fuller expression of the constitutional ideals.

The End of the Crimean Consensus: How Sustainable are the New Trends in Russian Public Opinion?

Abstract Since Russia’s takeover of Crimea in 2014 Russian public rallied around the flag and public opinion entered a relatively static state often called the “Crimean consensus”. The presidential elections of 2018 became a turning point in the dynamics of public opinion. Sociological data from that period reveals growing anti-establishment sentiments, demand for change, social justice, a peaceful foreign policy, and civic activism. To analyze these changes the study combines data from four rounds of focus groups with sociological surveys on the maturity of moral values and the perception of institutional injustice, conducted during 2018–2020. All sources of our sociological data demonstrate, that the main changes are associated with post-materialist values: demand for the rule of law, political rights and civic engagement prevails over concerns about basic consumption and material inequality. The data also reveals a value related rift between the ruling elites and the population. Whereas the population increasingly demands the rule of law and/or social contract, the ruling class, as the respondents perceive it, remains guided by interpersonal dealings and conformism. The essential role of post-materialist values in defining the new social agenda implies that the ongoing changes are not temporary and reversible but reflect a more fundamental process of transition to postmaterialist value system. However, given a short period of observations the available evidence is not fully conclusive. Data from the new round of European values study expected to be released before the end of 2020 can help clarify the dynamics of value change in Russia and its possible influence on the recent evolution of public opinion.

Public sensitivity to cultural identity and regime type of trading partners: a survey experiment from Turkey and Greece

Given that sharing a democratic regime or culture increases the likelihood of bilateral trade flows between country dyads, this article investigates whether individuals are more likely to support preferential trade liberalization with other democracies and countries they perceive as culturally similar to the home country. Adopting experimental manipulation of the regime type and the cultural identity of the partner country on nationally representative survey data from two emerging market countries, Turkey and Greece, I demonstrate that while cultural affiliation does not condition individual attitudes, respondents in both samples display a highly significant preference for trade liberalization with a democratic country over an authoritarian one. Assessments based on respondents’ endorsement of postmaterialist values, international trade attitudes, and interpersonal trust reveal that while the democracy preference of Turkish respondents are likely affected by functional reasons, both functional and normative dynamics condition Greek attitudes.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1057/s41304-020-00290-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Análisis comparativo de consumidores de verduras y frutas ecológicas en España y Portugal

Actualmente se detectan nuevos patrones de consumo alimentario asociados a los llamados alimentos ecológicos. La extensión de valores posmaterialistas, la conciencia ecológica, la conservación del medio ambiente así como la reciente crisis económica que ha afectado a la mayoría de países europeos, han propiciado la aparición de nuevas formas de consumo de productos ecológicos fundamentados en un modelo de producción sostenible. En este contexto, la producción y consumo de verduras y frutas ecológicas se muestra como una estrategia de calidad de consumo alimentario y también como forma de ahorro en la adquisición y de alimentos frescos y saludables. En la siguiente contribución científica se realiza un estudio estadístico descriptivo comparativo de las características sociodemográficas de los distintos tipos de consumidores de frutas y verduras ecológicas en España y Portugal. También se muestra una descripción de las prácticas de tipo proambientales en dicha tipología de consumidores. Recurrimos a una estrategia de tipo cuantitativa mediante el uso de datos perteneciente a la encuesta ISSP Environment (2010, Portugal) y ISSP (2010, España). La técnica utilizada es el análisis bivariable y el análisis segmentación en árbol mediante el algoritmo CHAID. Los resultados principales muestran la influencia de la formación, los ingresos y el hábitat en la caracterización de los diferentes tipos de consumidores de frutas y verduras ecológicas en España y Portugal.

How Does Education Affect Political Trust?: An Analysis of Moderating Factors

This article aims to understand the correlates of political trust by delving into the multiple interactive effects of education in democratic states throughout the world. It asks whether education raises political trust by increasing the stakes of the citizens in the system and whether education diminishes trust as a result of being abler to evaluate the existence of corruption in a given country. It also taps into how post-materialism as an individual-level factor affects this equation by activating critical judgments toward political institutions. The findings show that, indeed, the effect of education on political trust is very context-dependent. Political trust and education are positively correlated in more meritocratic countries and negatively correlated in the more corrupt ones. Post-material values, combined with educational attainment, tend to lower political trust to a certain extent yet this effect is surpassed by the presence or absence of meritocracy or political corruption. We also find that the effect of education on political trust becomes more pronounced as the level of education increases, with university graduates being the most susceptible to the effects of meritocracy and corruption on their trust levels.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the Swedish strategy: Epidemiology and postmodernism.

The aim is to outline the underlying epidemiological thinking and mentality in post-materialist and postmodern Sweden behind the Swedish strategy. The aim is not to investigate the handling of the pandemic in Sweden in the long-run. Overconfidence in herd immunity, overconfidence in individual responsibility in a pandemic needing community-centered approaches, overconfidence in evidence-based medicine and neglect to coordinate with the WHO and other countries may be associated with post-materialist values and postmodernism including opposition against modern authority, rationality and science, and also an anti-traditionalist stance towards older generations. COVID-19 epidemiology and postmodernism may be a dangerous combination.

Sexism in Mainland China and Taiwan: A Social Experimental Study

This study compares gender discrimination or sexism in mainland China and Taiwan by means of a social experiment. Mainland China, with its radical egalitarian socialist policies implemented in a centrally planned economy and during the Cultural Revolution, serves as the treatment group in this social experiment. Taiwan, with its conventional path of economic modernisation, political liberalisation and importation of post-material values, is set as the control group. Using the Sixth Wave World Values Surveys, this study finds a higher level of explicit sexism in mainland China than in Taiwan due to China's post-Mao market reform. Interestingly, Taiwan shows a stronger effect of hidden sexism than China. China's low level of hidden sexism could be attributed to its radical social and economic egalitarian policies from the 1950s to the 1970s. The article concludes by suggesting that while democracy is capable of promoting postmodern values such as feminism, it is less effective in eliminating hidden sexism, and that government policy is imperative to mitigating the negative effect of market capitalism on gender equality.

Political Consumerism: An Application on Turkish Consumers

Sosyal, siyasal ve etik gibi bir dizi kıstaslara dayalı olarak üreticiler ve ürünler arasında tercih yapma eylemi olan siyasal tüketicilik bu çalışmanın temel kavramını oluşturmaktadır. Bu doğrultuda çalışmanın temel amacı; Türk tüketicisinin ne derecede siyasal tüketici olduğu ve buna etki eden faktörlerin neler olduğunu belirlemektir. Araştırma çerçevesinde oluşturulan hipotezleri test etmek amacıyla TR düzey 1’de yer alan 12 istatistik bölgesinde bir anket çalışması yürütülmüştür. Anket uygulaması ile elde edilen 672 adet anketin analizlerinde temel bileşenler analizinden ve regresyon analizinden faydalanılmıştır. Bu analizleri gerçekleştirebilmek için SPSS ve STATA programları kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlara bakıldığında; siyasal tüketicilik ile gelir, eğitim, geleneksel olmayan katılım, kurumsal güven, genelleştirilmiş güven, postmateryalist değerler değişkenleri ile arasında pozitif yönlü bir ilişki, sosyalleşme değişkeni ile de negatif bir ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Diğer yandan cinsiyet, yaş, siyasi görüş ve kurumsal katılım değişkenleri ile siyasal tüketicilik arasında istatistikî olarak anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilememiştir.

Transformation of social values during a pandemic and problems of global solidarity

The paper analyzes the current situation in the world during the coronavirus pandemic, in particular, the general trend to border closure, isolation, national selfishness, increase in total control, and “secucracy”. The paper puts forward a question of reinterpretation of the significance of material values; actualization of post-material values: friendship, love, respect for the Other, self-actualization, family, and environmental values. Based on P. Sorokin’s model of universal altruism, the value shift amidst the pandemic has been analyzed. It is proved that during the severe periods of human development the values of natural law, namely the right to life, the right to health, the right to freedom assume great importance.

Predictors of the use and approval of CAM: results from the German General Social Survey (ALLBUS)

BackgroundMany studies have shown that sociodemographic variables significantly predict the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), although these predictions were not particularly strong. A multitude of predictors of the use or approval of CAM have been investigated in the field of personal values and worldviews, but the effects were small or doubtful due to non-representative samples. More recent psychological research has linked positive attitudes towards CAM with intuitive thinking, paranormal beliefs, ontological confusions and magical health beliefs, suggesting a common thinking style behind all these variables. The aim of this study is to identify the most important predictors of the use and approval of CAM.MethodsWe performed a canonical correlation analysis on all 3480 records from the 2012 German General Social Survey (ALLBUS) with the lifetime use and opinion of CAM as the dependent variables.ResultsApproval of paranormal practices such as fortune-telling, dowsing or spiritualism explained 32% of the variance in the dependent canonical variate “approval of CAM”, while sociodemographic variables explained only 2%. Experience with paranormal practices explained 17% of the variance in the dependent canonical variate “experience with CAM”, and sociodemographic variables explained 10% of the variance. Traditional religiosity, attitudes towards science and post-materialist values showed no relevant correlations with the dependent canonical variates.ConclusionsParanormal beliefs and related measures are the most important known predictors of the use and approval of CAM. Experience with paranormal practices not only indicates paranormal beliefs but also explains experience with CAM that cannot be explained by approval of CAM. Female gender and higher socioeconomic status predict experience with CAM without predicting approval of CAM, but their influence should not be overstated.

The individualization of political activism

PurposeThe study aims to investigate a relevant topic, but still underestimated by sociological studies: animal advocacy, namely, the organized interest in non-human animals' life, rights and well-being. The Italian case is discussed, with a twofold objective: to highlight the evolution of some repertoires of contention and to use this study to analyze the changes of contemporary collective mobilizations and their relation with the modernization process.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on an online survey (704 responses nationwide), 24 semi-structured interviews with relevant members of groups and associations and a protest event analysis. Furthermore, a vast empirical archive and some academic studies concerning Italian animal advocacy in its historical dimension have been consulted.FindingsThe paper underlines the current specificities of Italian animal advocacy, compared to past decades. The great importance assumed by personal action frames and repertoires of contention emerged as characterizing elements. Activism is always more individual and less related to collective organizations: the central role of veganism and of the internet as protest tool is underlined. Both the increasing possibilities offered by better discursive opportunities structure, but also the possible incorporation of more radical frames within consumer market dynamics emerged from the interviews and the survey.Originality/valueThe phenomenon of animal advocacy (and, more generally, the activities of contemporary social movements) is contextualized within some typical characteristics of modernity, looking both at structural “opportunities” (e.g.: the diffusion of post-materialist values) and “constraints” (e.g.: veganwashing operations). Based on previous definitions coming from social movements studies and following a debate hosted by this journal, the role of collective organizations and especially the centrality assumed by individual activism is critically analyzed, evaluating the new possibilities, but also the possible negative sides. Not only cultural changes, but also political and legal contexts matter. In this sense, both a focus on Italy and more general reflections on western modernities are proposed, trying to go beyond animal advocacy and reflecting on social movements and collective mobilizations more widely.

Ocupação das escolas em 2015 e 2016: uma breve análise da forma e do conteúdo da ação dos estudantes

Este artigo tem por objetivo realizar uma breve análise da forma e do conteúdo da ação dos estudantes que ocuparam as escolas no ano de 2015 e 2016, a partir da maneira como foram representados em periódicos acadêmicos e imprensa. Para tanto, realizo uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o tema das ocupações, considerando dois tipos de fontes: artigos publicados em revistas acadêmicas e artigos e/ou notícias publicadas em dois jornais de grande circulação, O Globo e a Folha de São Paulo. Diante disso, considero três eixos de abordagem: i. a luta por uma educação pública de qualidade; ii. a utilização das redes sociais e aplicativos de mensagem como ferramenta de mobilização; iii. a disputa em torno do discurso sobre a legitimidade da ação dos estudantes. A hipótese defendida neste artigo é de que o processo de ocupação das escolas, representado em periódicos acadêmicos e imprensa, compõem um repertório de ação não convencional mobilizado em grande medida por valores pós-materialistas. Conforme a literatura dentro do campo da cultura política, esses valores estão orientados para uma postura pró-democracia.