tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058766287077382431.post2167109288731421817..comments2024-03-23T04:01:39.348-04:00Comments on Understanding Society: Character and historical experienceDan Littlehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15953897221283103880noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4058766287077382431.post-8079599267234204032013-01-10T10:16:57.233-05:002013-01-10T10:16:57.233-05:00Hi Dan,
One piece of empirical work which also mi...Hi Dan,<br /><br />One piece of empirical work which also might be mentioned in this context is the work done by Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel (as well as other researchers) using the World Values Survey datasets.<br /><br />In particular, in their book "Modernization, Cultural Change and Democracy" Inglehart and Welzel make the claim that it is indeed historical experience which shapes peoples' outlook on life, society, values and so on. They argue that growing up in a wealthy and secure environment makes people fundamentally less "survival-oriented" and more "self-expression" oriented, which in turn is conducive to a more tolerant and democratic society.<br /><br />Importantly, their argument is that while current economic conditions (e.g. inflation, unemployment) indeed have some effect on people's basic values, the more important determinant is whether they grew up in a secure and prosperous environment. Accordingly, value change doesn't happen overnight but is a cohort phenomenon. Given economic modernization, younger and more "open-minded" generations gradually replace older and more survival-oriented ones.<br /><br />They apply their analysis to the rise of women's rights, green parties, the hippie movement (the first generation to have grown up after WWII, in relative wealth), transitions to democracy after the end of the Cold War, and much more. Their book is a fascinating read, and I can't help but wonder why it's not more famous than it is. <br /><br />(I've written a summary of the book here:<br />http://allstreetjournal.blogspot.be/2012/11/a-cultural-theory-of-everything.html )Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14023047635512204314noreply@blogger.com