East Asian Values Surveys Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts Henk Vinken Pyrrhula BV & OSA, Institute for Labour Studies Tilburg,

East Asian Values SurveysMaking a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts

Henk Vinken

Pyrrhula BV &OSA, Institute for Labour Studies

Tilburg, NetherlandsECCS, European Centre for Comparative Surveys

Mannheim, Germany

[email protected]

Asian Lectures Tour March-April 2007

http://www.henkvinken.nl/

mailto:[email protected]


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).

http://www.henkvinken.nl/pdfs/ReligionTradValuesEastAsia.PDF

http://www.henkvinken.nl/pdfs/ReligionTradValuesEastAsia.PDF

http://www.gesis.org/Publikationen/Berichte/ZUMA_Arbeitsberichte/06/AB_06_05abs.htm

http://www.gesis.org/Publikationen/Berichte/ZUMA_Arbeitsberichte/06/AB_06_05abs.htm

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/9004151273/henkvinken-21


http://www.henkvinken.nl/pdfs/Westernbiassociologyreligion.PDF








Values* Latent, unobservable constructs of what is regarded a desirable state of affairs over against another state of affairs* Guiding principles for action:

influence “the selection of modes, means, and ends of action”* Stable and durable: do not disappear when situation changes (<-> attitudes, opinions, etc.)* Most ideal to compare cultures (over time)

Famous contemporary global values surveys

WVS, World Values SurveySVS, Schwartz Values Survey

ISSP, International Social Survey Programme

NES, National Election StudiesEtc.

Fielded in many (East) Asian countries !

Most contemporary global values surveys concepts and methodologies

are of Western-origin


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?


AimTake account of possible Western bias and enhance cultural fit of global values surveys covering non-Western nations

First questionWhere can we expect East Asian values to differ?

HowReview 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)


Core issueLegitimacy 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.)

YetWe 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


Orientalism versusReversed-OrientalismOrient/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


Key divergence East-West

Individualism versus Collectivism

Contemporary literaturePersonal independence

ObligationDuty

Relatedness to others

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

Hofstede (2001) Culture’s Consequences

(2nd ed.)

Individualism and collectivism varies per life domain


WorkWhich values relevant in and originating from East Asia?

Key wordsSacrifice, 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

EvidenceWestern-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)


PoliticsWhich values relevant in and originating from East Asia?

Key wordsConfucianism: 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.

EvidenceWestern 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.


ReligionWhich values relevant in and originating from East Asia?

Key wordsSyncreticism: 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.

EvidenceWestern-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).


Family lifeWhich values relevant in and originating from East Asia?

Key wordsPrototypical 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).

EvidenceWestern-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.


Overlooking the four domainsMany inadequate values concepts in global values surveys that yet are fielded in East Asia. In summary:

WorkExtrinsic/intrinsic work values, affective commitment

PoliticsPersonal trust, voluntary associational life, a separate civil society

ReligionMonotheism (1 choice), dominance doctrine over practice, authority figures, passive indulgence, transcendence over this-worldliness, separating religion from family and state relationships

Family lifeFamily as spouse/children unit, superiority of emotional bonds, attachment as voluntary choice, family life as household chores

Conclusions


Overlooking the four domainsIncluding adequate values concepts in global values surveys that make sense to East Asian publics (and scholars). In summary:

WorkSacrifice, devotion, fitting in, preserving relationships, loyalty

PoliticsReciprocal relationships, sacrifice, self-discipline, for the (material) good of one’s in-group (criterion also for outsider-relationships)

ReligionSyncreticism, polytheism, context-dependence, central role of offerings also for this-worldly goals, ties to family and state virtues

Family lifeFilial piety and anxiety, sacrifice, awareness of obligations, securing emotional, relational and material returns

Conclusions


Overlooking the four domainsSimilar keywords that cross the four domains

Sacrifice (for one’s in-group)

Preserving reciprocal relationships

Assuring material benefits

Others?

Conclusions


Vigorously meld several school of thoughtWorking 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:

AnalysesAnalyzing comparative values surveys from East Asia searching the best measurement instruments

SeminarsBringing together (young) East Asian scholars to suggest, test and debate the best measurement instruments (per domain)

InclusionIncluding a frugal set of indicators in global values surveys

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Documents

East Asian Values Surveys Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts Henk Vinken Pyrrhula BV & OSA, Institute for Labour Studies Tilburg,