East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Henk Vinken
Pyrrhula BV &
OSA, Institute for Labour Studies
Tilburg, Netherlands
ECCS, European Centre for Comparative Surveys
Mannheim, Germany
www.henkvinken.nl
hvinken@gmail.com
Asian Lectures Tour March-April 2007
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
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 9004-15217-3) (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).
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Values
Famous contemporary
* Latent, unobservable
global values surveys
constructs of what is regarded
WVS, World Values Survey
a desirable state of affairs
SVS, Schwartz Values Survey
over against another state of
ISSP, International Social
affairs
Survey Programme
* Guiding principles for action:
NES, National Election Studies
influence “the selection of
Etc.
modes, means, and ends of
action”
Fielded in many (East) Asian
* Stable and durable: do not
countries !
disappear when situation
changes (<-> attitudes,
opinions, etc.)
Most contemporary global values
* Most ideal to compare
surveys concepts and methodologies
cultures (over time)
are of Western-origin
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Most contemporary global values surveys concepts and
methodologies are of Western-origin
Bias going in two ways
Geert Hofstede, 2007: “Issues prominent in the researcher’s culture
but not necessarily relevant to the respondents will be included, and
issues crucial in the respondents’ culture but not in the researchers’
may be overlooked”.
If global values surveys are Western, then do we measure and
compare Western values or desired states of affairs only?
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Aim
Take account of possible Western bias and enhance cultural fit of
global values surveys covering non-Western nations
First question
Where can we expect East Asian values to differ?
How
Review key literature on East Asian values conceptions and
preliminarily analyze recent East Asian-origin comparative surveys
AB, Asia Barometer (2003)
AnB, Asian Barometer (2001-2003)
EAVS, East Asia Value Survey (2002-2004)
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Core issue
Legitimacy to compare cultures and thus values at the national level
Strong arguments pro
* Globalization sparks quest for and strengthening of national identity
* Countries increasingly similar economically, thus cultural
differences rise in relative importance
* Still substantially more cultural diversity found between than within
countries
* Many other non-cultural reasons to keep nation as a relevant entity
of comparison (political, institutional, etc.)
Yet
We should not disregard cultures and values at work at other levels
* E.g. within-China diversity (city-level examples available)
And beware of over-stressing the role of national cultures
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Orientalism versus
Reversed-Orientalism
Orient/Occident – East/West
binary develops from ‘weak East’
(1980s) to ‘weak West’
(>1980s): E.g. (neo-) Confucian
Ethics debates since 1980s
Note danger of triggering
‘othering’ process: defining the
other as ‘specific’ or ‘historically
typical’ and seeing the self as
‘generic’ and ‘universal’
Universalism versus
Particularism
What is found in all cultures
versus what is unique to one
E.g. Absolute nature of human
rights. Claim ideas are
independent of who believes, are
part of pre-given make-up, c.q.
all are driven by psyche -> bias:
global search for adherence to
universalist ideas only
Particularists belief values
depend on contexts (not part of
inner core), esp. membership
groups (family, work, etc.) -> no
search outside context; weak
diffusion particularist ideas
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Individualism versus
Collectivism
Key divergence East-West
China
20
Australia
90
Hong Kong
25
Denmark
74
Indonesia
14
Finland
63
India
48
France
71
Japan
46
Germany
67
Korea (S)
18
Great Britain
89
Malaysia
26
Italy
76
Pakistan
14
Netherlands
80
Philippines
32
New Zealand
79
Singapore
20
Spain
51
Taiwan
17
Sweden
71
Thailand
20
USA
91
Contemporary literature
Personal independence
Obligation
Duty
Relatedness to others
Hofstede (2001)
Culture’s Consequences
(2nd ed.)
Individualism and collectivism varies per life domain
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Work
Which values relevant in and originating from East Asia?
Key words
Sacrifice, feeling of duty, fitting in, efforts to relate to co-workers and
those who may benefit one’s group (e.g. co-alumni), trying
hard/doing one’s utmost; returns are security, guidance, and
protection by employer/co-workers
Evidence
Western-origin global values studies focus on personal benefits of
work (material/extrinsic or immaterial/intrinsic such as salary,
promotion, personal growth) or individualist notions of (affective)
commitment to work (ISSP)
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Politics
Which values relevant in and originating from East Asia?
Key words
Confucianism: working for the good of the family, assuring material
well-being, and virtuous leadership (including perseverance and
sacrifice); rule by talented AND benevolent elite with ‘carte blanche
leadership’ (dependence public who expect services). Legalism:
expecting and accepting strong state that addresses all needs.
Assuring mutual (material) benefits versus personal trust. High
network capital/strong support organisations tied to authorities.
Evidence
Western scholars celebrate universal nature of liberal democracy,
individual rights and independent civil society. Global values studies
focus on personal trust, voter turn-out, partisanship, the ‘good’
citizen and ‘civil society’ separated from state/business sector.
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Religion
Which values relevant in and originating from East Asia?
Key words
Syncreticism: melding various (opposing) schools of thought. Define
one’s self a-school in situation x, b-school in situation y, etc. Not 1
value, belief, practice with pinnacle importance, but many compete.
Dieties not supernatural only. Practice also without mediators
(priests, etc.). Practical/this-worldly merging immaterial and material
benefits. Embedded in family life AND in government bureaucracy.
Evidence
Western-origin surveys require 1 choice (sic!), focus on single
membership, monotheism, Christian concepts, some extra ‘occult’
items to tap non-Western/New Age beliefs (see ‘othering’ process,
slide 7).
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Family life
Which values relevant in and originating from East Asia?
Key words
Prototypical for all relationships. Filial bonds override conjugal ones.
Filial piety AND anxiety (not easy to bear, esp. not for women).
Feeling attached to family less important than duty and respect.
Sacrifice and unselfish complete devotion to children. High relational
value of children (standing among kin).
Evidence
Western-origin surveys (e.g., ISSP) focus on role men/women
working out/in the home, mistake taking care of family life with doing
household chores and show weak relationships with (Western-origin)
values in other domains (e.g., religion, see previous slide). Some
surveys (VOC, Values of Children project) show change and stability
in East Asian family values.
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Conclusions
Overlooking the four domains
Many inadequate values concepts in global values surveys that yet
are fielded in East Asia. In summary:
Work
Extrinsic/intrinsic work values, affective commitment
Politics
Personal trust, voluntary associational life, a separate civil society
Religion
Monotheism (1 choice), dominance doctrine over practice, authority
figures, passive indulgence, transcendence over this-worldliness,
separating religion from family and state relationships
Family life
Family as spouse/children unit, superiority of emotional bonds,
attachment as voluntary choice, family life as household chores
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Conclusions
Overlooking the four domains
Including adequate values concepts in global values surveys that
make sense to East Asian publics (and scholars). In summary:
Work
Sacrifice, devotion, fitting in, preserving relationships, loyalty
Politics
Reciprocal relationships, sacrifice, self-discipline, for the (material)
good of one’s in-group (criterion also for outsider-relationships)
Religion
Syncreticism, polytheism, context-dependence, central role of
offerings also for this-worldly goals, ties to family and state virtues
Family life
Filial piety and anxiety, sacrifice, awareness of obligations, securing
emotional, relational and material returns
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
Conclusions
Overlooking the four domains
Similar keywords that cross the four domains
Sacrifice (for one’s in-group)
Preserving reciprocal relationships
Assuring material benefits
Others?
East Asian Values Surveys
Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts
With your help we can
Vigorously meld several school of thought
Working towards improving comparative values surveys. For the
benefit of global academia (no comparability, no clue what is truly
universal/particular, weak explanatory power of values), and for
East Asian publics (unaddressed concerns, weak responsiveness
of policies and politics). Stepwise:
Analyses
Analyzing comparative values surveys from East Asia searching the
best measurement instruments
Seminars
Bringing together (young) East Asian scholars to suggest, test and
debate the best measurement instruments (per domain)
Inclusion
Including a frugal set of indicators in global values surveys