Value Systems in Transformation: Changing Values in Relation to Changing Societies

Changes in the value systems are usually studied by comparing some values, value types or value orientations and their estimates over time or between generations. With few rare exceptions, there are practically no studies concentrating on the transformation of the value structures or on the changing relations between different values. Associations between values are being seen as stable and universal both between countries/societies and over time. This is an assumption that cannot be taken for granted in a world that is more and more characterized by cultural and social pluralism as well as alteration of traditional cultural templates, communication technologies, economic systems, political ideologies etc. All this necessitates the usage of methodological and theoretical approaches that are enabling to recognize the heterogeneity in the value structures within societies and between different time points. In order to compare value systems, they must be equivalent in their structural formation. If this is not the case, then diverse value structures must be distinguished and structural differences (between societies and over time) that arise, must be explained by the variations in the socio-economic or other settings and by the developmental trajectories of those settings.

Current paper intends to fill this cap. Using value questionnaire developed by Shalom Schwartz (PVQ21) and data from European Social Survey, present study argues that the assumption of homogeneity of value structure does not hold. Using latent class modeling framework, diverse value structures are being distinguished within European societies and in different time points. Those value systems are being compared between societies and over time. Culture-specific aspects of them are being allocated and related to wider socio-economic contexts. Finally, the temporal dynamics of those cultural specificities are explored and further related to the historical settings of their development.