Revising the value shift hypothesis : South Africa's value dynamics between 1991 and 2001

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The World Values Survey has made a significant contribution to research in the fieldof values and value change, but a large amount of the research has been fashioned in amanner to tap values in industrialized and western states, rendering the theoretical models ofexplanation less than relevant for developing nations. This study aims to advance anunderstanding of value change within the South African context, particularly in light of theexpansive political, social and economic changes to have transpired since 1990, whilstsimultaneously addressing this issue of a lack of universal theory to understand value change.Primary amongst the theoretical frameworks addressing this issue of value change hasbeen Ronald Inglehart's theory of a shift towards increased post-materialism in economicallyviable democratic countries. By subjecting survey data regarding value priorities from theSouth African rounds of the 1991, 1995 and 2001 World Values Survey to statistical analysis,the hypothesis of a similar situation in South Africa will be tested. After evaluating whetherSouth Africa concurs with the post-materialist shift hypothesis, a unique dimension, includingpre-materialist values, will be utilized in an attempt to establish whether South Africa hasundergone any value change. This dimension is employed in the analysis of the 1995 and2001 South African data, and whilst the value shift hypothesis promulgated by Inglehartappears largely unconcurred, an overall trend away from pre-materialism towards increasedmixed type value priorities, with an ever so slight increase in materialists, has becomeevident. Although South Africa's value configuration is displaying an increasing convergencetowards more moderate value orientations, most of the dynamics of change are manifestingthemselves amongst and across various population sub-groups.South Africa's values are therefore undergoing relatively dramatic fluctuations,mainly reflected when the data are disaggregated for the various population sub-groups, theresults indicating that longitudinal analysis along the pre-materialist/materialist continuumcontinues to be a more appropriate tool for tapping South Africa's underlying values. Theconsequences of these findings, for democratic consolidation, future political conflict, valuechange determinants and the appropriateness of this model for developing countries, will beassessed in detail. Consequently, by conducting these analyses, this research essay attempts tosituate a global, but still largely Western theory, in a South African and developing worldcontext. It thereby attempts to contribute towards filling a knowledge gap concerning thedirection, degree and nature of the dynamics of value change.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University