World Values Survey
The World Values Survey (WVS) is a comprehensive global research project that investigates the values and beliefs of people across the world, observing how these change over time, and how they influence social and political landscapes. The WVS provides data that is critical in understanding how opinions and behaviors shift across different cultures and societies, and is pivotal for sociologists, political scientists, and policymakers globally.
Origins and Development
The inception of the World Values Survey dates back to the early 1980s, spearheaded by political scientists like Ronald Inglehart. It aimed to observe the cultural, economic, and political transformations occurring around the globe. The survey is conducted in successive waves, with each wave including various representative samples from more than 100 countries.
Methodology
The survey collects data using a standardized questionnaire that measures a diverse array of values, including but not limited to, societal norms, political engagement, religious beliefs, and views on gender roles. It also explores Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory, providing insights into how cultural values affect behavior in different societies.
Cultural Map of the World
One of the notable outputs of the WVS is the Inglehart–Welzel cultural map of the world. This map is a scatter plot that categorizes societies based on two key dimensions: traditional values versus secular-rational values, and survival values versus self-expression values. This model has been further refined by Christian Welzel, who integrated the concepts of emancipative and secular values, reflecting an updated understanding of self-expression and traditional values.
Applications
The data from the WVS is widely used for various analytical purposes, such as calculating the gender social norms index by the United Nations Development Programme. This index measures global attitudes towards gender equality and has been included in the Human Development Report since 2019. The survey's data is also instrumental in compiling the World Happiness Report, which assesses the well-being of populations worldwide.
Religious and Societal Insights
The WVS provides extensive insights into the religious orientations of different societies. For instance, it measures how involved individuals are in religious services and how much importance they attach to their religious beliefs. As indicated in the 2000 data, there is a stark contrast between regions; 98% of the populace in Indonesia reported religion as very important, whereas only 3% in China echoed the same sentiment. Such data is essential in understanding religion in various countries and its influence on societal norms.
Related Topics
The World Values Survey continues to be an invaluable resource in dissecting and understanding the evolving fabric of global values and provides a foundation upon which comparative cultural studies are built.