Change of Basic Human Values in Europe 2002-2012

Values research is gaining an increasing popularity among social scientists and there exists several theories, trying to deal with this complex phenomenon. Given study is based on the Basic Value theory by Shalom Schwartz, which while describing a theoretical circular structure of basic values has created a robust framework for both cross-time and cross-cultural value comparisons.

During last two decades, Schwartz has developed several value instruments, which has been used in numerous surveys around the world. Given analyses uses data from European Social Survey (ESS), which includes one of mentioned instruments - a short version of portrait value questionnaire (PVQ-21).

ESS is a comparative social survey with free access and very high quality criterions. It was started in 2002 and is conducted in every second year in most of European countries. Therefor this survey provides a database with nearly 300000 cases from year 2002 through 2012, covering very dramatic period of developments in Europe.

Given study is not analyzing value change only on country level, but distinguishes also major ethnic minorities where applicable, which gives a more adequate picture of real differentiations and enables to describe occurred change in more detail.

The broader aim of this analysis is to fit the change of Europeans basic values into larger societal-change context, following the transition from economic prosperity to regression, which would also allow a better understanding of the value phenomenon in general.