Transcript Is there a McWorld Generation?

Is there a McWorld
Generation?
Convergence, stability or divergence
of cultural diversity
Henk Vinken
www.henkvinken.nl
December 10, 2008 – Konstanz University, Germany
Vinken, H. (2007). Religion and traditional values in
East Asia. Exploring five comparative values surveys
in East Asia. Working paper for School of Sociology,
Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Hyogo,
Japan.
Vinken, H. (2006). East Asian Values Surveys. Making
a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts.
Mannheim: ZUMA (ZUMA Arbeitsbericht 2006/05;
ISSN 1610-4110).
Four chapters in P. Ester, M. Braun & P. Mohler (Eds.)
(2006), Globalization, value change, and generations.
A cross-national and intergenerational perspective.
Leiden & Boston: Brill (ISBN-13 978-90-04-15217-7;
ISBN-10 90-04-15217-3) (Series: European Values
Studies, Vol 10.; ISSN 1568-5926).
Vinken, H. (2005). Western bias in the sociology of
religion. Universalist discourses in sociology and
particularist indicators in four key surveys. Working
paper for School of Sociology, Kwansei Gakuin
University, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan (Download is
a revised version submitted to an international social
science journal October 2006).
Vinken, H., J. Soeters & P. Ester (Eds.) (2004).
Comparing cultures. Dimensions of culture in a
comparative perspective. Leiden & Boston: Brill
(ISBN 90-04-13115-9) (Series: International Studies
in Sociology and Social Anthropology, Vol. 93; ISSN
0074-8684).
Many globalizations
One emerging global culture ?
Different ‘emitters’:
• USA, Europe, Japan ?
Different responses:
• acceptance, rejection, coexistence, synthesis
Diffused through elite and popular channels
Elite:
• ‘Davos’ culture (in business, governance)
Popular:
• ‘McWorld’ culture (in pop culture, consumption)
The rise of a ‘McWorld’ generation ?
• Engagement in pop culture signals participation in global
modernity
• Similarities in terms of choices, but also
• In terms of values (what is desired)?
Evidence in value surveys in Western and Asian countries ?
Culture
Core element:
• Values (change slowest)
Also includes:
• Heroes, symbols, rituals (change fastest)
Values:
• Fundamental tendency to prefer a
certain state of affairs over another
• The desired (vs. the desirable-ideals-should want)
• That what is regarded good, beautiful, true
Comparative values surveys
Key Western-origin surveys:
• European Values Survey (EVS)
• World Values Survey (WVS)
• International Social Survey Programme (ISSP)
• Schwartz Values Survey (SVS)
Basic assumption:
• European Social Survey (ESS)
Young
generations of
Also:
different cultures
• Asian Barometers (AnB)
more similar in
• East Asian Values Survey (EAVS)
terms of values
than similar to
Here:
older generations
• EVS/WVS 1990/1999-2000
in their respective
• AnB 2001-2003
cultures
• EAVS 2002-2004
Young: born after 1960 resp. 1970
Older: born 1969 and before
First glimpse with EVS/WVS items
100
% agree "when jobs are
scarce, men should have
more right to a job than
women"
80
whole population
pakistan
60
bangladesh
pakistan
bangladesh
taiwan
indonesia
india
india
indonesia
young people
(born 1970-1987)
china
40
russian fed
taiwan
japan italy singapore
china
germany
great britain
japan
germany
netherlands
great britain
usa
usa
netherlands
20
korea
russian fed
singapore
france
korea
italy
france
% who thinks that "a
woman has to have children
in order to be fulfilled"
0
0
20
40
60
80
100
Dimensions in EVS/WVS
Modernization:
• From traditional to
secular-rational authority
(im/unimportant God;
obedience/independence;
national pride; strict/lacks
rules; respect/critical
attitude towards authority)
Postmodernization:
• From survival to
self-expression
(materialism/postmaterialism; security/quality of life;
not/would sign petitions;
homosexuality
un/justifiable; low/high
trust)
EVS/WVS dimensions: 1990
1,5
netherlands
sweden
ireland
netherlands
1
finland
usa
survivial/well-being
usa
finland
ireland
austria
italy
belgium
belgium
austria
-0,5
0
india
0
turkey
india
france
germany
0,5
younger
japan
1
czech
czech
poland
poland
older
japan
italy
-1
germany
france
0,5
turkey
sweden
russia
-0,5
russia
-1
traditional/secular-rational authority
1,5
2
EVS/WVS dimensions: 1999
2
sweden
netherlands
1,5
denmark
usa
usa
1
ireland
netherlands
survivial/well-being
austria
ireland
austria
italy
india
-0,5
0
poland 0
poland
italy
finland
0,5
-1
denmark
india
sweden
belgium
france
germany
japan
france
belgium
south korea
germany
0,5
older
younger
czech
czech
1
1,5
south korea
-0,5
turkey
russia
turkey
-1
japan
finland
russia
-1,5
traditional/secular-rational authority
2
2,5
EVS/WVS postmaterialism:
1990-1999
2,4
italy
usa
austria
sweden
usa
2,2
austria
sweden
netherlands
belgium
denmark
netherlands
japan
france
turkey
germany
turkey
belgium
ireland
japan
czech
czech
ireland
france
finland
finland
poland
germany
china
poland south
korea
italy
postmaterialism 1999
2
1,8
south
korea
1,6
china
1,4
russia
indiaindia
russia
1,2
1
1
1,2
1,4
1,6
1,8
postmaterialism 1990
2
2,2
2,4
2,6
older
younger
Asian values
No adoption western values, but a turn away from Asian
values?
Check with recently emerging Asian values surveys
• AnB: Taiwan-based AsianBarometer: countries
• EAVS: Tokyo-based East Asian Values Survey:
countries/cities/city-states
See working paper series building on ZUMA Arbeitsbericht
• See slide 2 for details
AnB Asian values: 2001-2003
0,2
japan
china
0,1
taiwan
south korea
0
harmony
-0,5
-0,4
-0,3
-0,2
-0,1
0
0,1
0,2
0,3
-0,1
japan
older
younger
china
hong kong
-0,2
taiwan
south korea
-0,3
hong kong
-0,4
-0,5
preservation
EAVS Asian values: 2002-2004
0,4
hong kong
taiwan
hong kong
shanghai
shanghai
hangzhou
respect ancestors
beijing
-1
-0,8
-0,6
taiwan
0,2
hangzhou
kunming
beijing
0
-0,4
-0,2
0
0,2
0,4
0,6
0,8
1
singapore
kunming
singapore
older
younger
-0,2
japan
south korea
-0,4
south korea
japan
-0,6
-0,8
gender roles
Conclusions
More similar younger generations
• Little evidence as concerns Inglehart values
• Some evidence as concerns gender-related values?
Nation/city-origin based cultural diversity
overrides generational cultural diversity
Unlikely that
• Cultures develop in one convergent direction
(e.g., towards postmaterialism)
• Young generations serve change in similar ways
(i.e., generational membership is not only factor)
McValues among higher educated young generations?