Self-expression values are part of a core value dimension in the modernization process.[1] Self-expression is a cluster of values that include social tolerance, life satisfaction, public expression and an aspiration to liberty. Ronald Inglehart, the University of Michigan professor who developed the theory of post-materialism, has worked extensively with this concept. The Inglehart–Welzel Cultural Map contrasts self-expression values with survival values, illustrating the changes in values across countries and generations.[2] The idea that the world is moving towards self-expression values was discussed at length in an article in the Economist.[3] Expressing one's personality, emotions, or ideas through art, music, or drama,[4] is a way to reveal oneself to others in a way that is special to them.[5]
The emergence of the post-industrial society has instigated significant cultural changes.[6] In the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and a growing proportion of East Asia, the vast majority of the people are no longer employed in factories, but work in the service sector instead.[7] There has been a transition from a mechanical environment to one where more people spend more of their time dealing with other individuals, symbols, and information, thus workers in the knowledge sector need to exercise their own judgment and decision-making abilities.
This transition has had significant outcomes:
The destandardisation of economic activities and social life reduces social constraints in unprecedented ways. Therefore, the transition in post-industrial societies is largely characterised by liberation from authority. [10]
Different political systems can emerge from industrialization. These include fascism, communism, theocracy and democracy. In contrast, post-industrial societies are associated with socio-cultural changes that strengthen the prospects of genuine and effective democracy.
Knowledge societies cannot function effectively without highly educated workers, who become articulate and accustomed to thinking for themselves. Moreover, rising levels of financial stability bring more emphasis to values of self-expression that prioritise personal freedom of choice. There is an increasing likelihood for mass publics to desire democracy, and they are becoming more effective in achieving it. As time goes on, repressing mass demands for liberalization becomes more damaging and expensive to economic effectiveness. Economic development is connected to democracy due to these changes.[11]
The World Values Survey provides the most comprehensive assessment of how values are perceived and expressed. To date, five "waves" have been undertaken, with each including additional countries in the survey.
Subsequent data analysis by Inglehart indicated that a significant proportion of the variation in the data could be accounted for by using measures that accessed only two dimensions: a traditional to secular-rational axis and a survival to self-expression axis. Initially, the factor scores were derived from 22 variables, but they were later reduced to only 10 (5 for each dimension) due to data availability constraints.
The self-expression axis has the following factor loadings.
| Survey question | Factor loading | |
|---|---|---|
| Respondent gives priority to self-expression and quality of life over economic and physical security | 0.87 | |
| Respondent describes self as very happy | 0.81 | |
| Homosexuality is sometimes justifiable | 0.77 | |
| Respondent has signed or would sign a petition | 0.74 | |
| Respondent does not think one has to be very careful about trusting people | 0.46 |
Although consisting of only five variables, the correlates for this dimension in the WV survey are very strong. Below is a partial list. Positive responses indicate survival values rather than self-expression values.
| Survival values emphasize the following (opposite of self-expression values)[12] | Correlation with survival/ self-expression values | |
|---|---|---|
| Men make better political leaders than women. | 0.86 | |
| Respondent is dissatisfied with financial situation of his or her household. | 0.83 | |
| A woman has to have children in order to be fulfilled. | 0.83 | |
| Respondent rejects foreigners, homosexuals and people with AIDS as neighbors. | 0.81 | |
| Respondent favors more emphasis on the development of technology. | 0.78 | |
| Respondent has not recycled things to protect the environment. | 0.78 | |
| Respondent has not attended a meeting or signed a petition to protect the environment | 0.75 | |
| When seeking a job, a good income and a safe job are more important than a feeling of accomplishment and working with the people you like. | 0.74 | |
| Respondent is relatively favorable to state ownership of business and industry. | 0.74 | |
| A child needs a home with both a mother and a father to grow up happily. | 0.73 | |
| Respondent does not describe own health as very good. | 0.73 | |
| One must always love and respect one's parents regardless of their behavior. | 0.71 | |
| When jobs are scarce, men have more right to a job than women. | 0.69 | |
| Respondent does not have much free choice or control over his or her life. | 0.67 | |
| Imagination is not one of the most important things to teach a child. | 0.62 |
. 1997. Modernization and Postmodernization: Cultural, Economic, and Political Change in 43 Societies. Princeton, New Jersey. Princeton University Press. Ronald Inglehart.
. 2002. The Rise of the Creative Class. New York. Basic Books. Richard Florida.
. 2002. Losing the Traditional: Individualization and Precarious Freedoms. Individualization. London. SAGE Publications. 1–21. Ulrich Beck.