Social values dynamics and socio-economic development

Based on data from nineteen countries participating in the European Social Survey 2002, the Schwartz model of social values is analysed in three perspectives: structure, importance and consensus. Results show the equivalence of Schwartz's values structure in the countries analysed. A multi-level analysis was performed in order to test the impact of both individual (family income) and contextual (Gross Domestic Product purchasing power parity GDP ppp) factors on value priorities. Differences in the importance people attribute to values were identified between countries, but results from the multi-level analysis showed that GDP ppp as well as family income were not good predictors of value priorities. In what concerns value consensus, and contrary to some previous results reported in the literature, a negative correlation between socio-economic development and consensus was found, suggesting that the higher the socio-economic development, the higher the social heterogeneity and complexity of social values.