TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

On the basis of the survey, Inglehart and Welzel developed a map that demonstrates the
position of various countries in relation to the two values dimensions: traditional/secular-
rational and survival/self-expression (Fig. 7). Ireland’s position on the Inglehart-Welzel map
shows a quite unique combination of fairly strong traditional values with well developed self-
expression values. While Ireland scores on the survival/self-expression axis similarly to other
European countries, its position on the traditional/secular-rational axis is closer to the countries
of Latin America and South Asia.
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Secular-Rational Values
_
1.00
0.95
CHOICE
0.90
0.85
0.80
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0.75
0.70
0.65
0.60
0.55
0.50
0.45
0.40
0.35
0.30
0.25 _
0.20
0.15
0.10
0.05 CONSTRAINT
0.00
0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.25 0.30 0.35 0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.80 0.85 0.90 0.95 1.00
_
Self-Expression Values
Figure 8: The Two-Dimensional Value Space in Theory (Welzel, 2006).
Inglehart and Baker’s (2000) analysis of the World Values Survey found that there is a massive
cultural change taking place, but at the same time distinctive traditional values persist.
Economic development is associated with pervasive, and somewhat predictable, cultural
changes. In almost all industrial societies the direction has shifted from traditional towards
secular-rational values. The rise of post-industrial societies brings a shift towards values of
trust, tolerance, well—being and post-materialist, self-expression values. Conversely, economic
collapse tends to push societies in the opposite direction. Inglehart and Baker’s (op cit) analysis
shows that values do change, but they still reflect society’s cultural heritage, and the influence
of the traditional values system is unlikely to disappear.
Although, on a short-term basis, values change back and forth, the long-term direction of the
shift in values is apparent. Human development moves away from the emphasis on constraint,
represented by a combination of weak secular-rational values and weak self-expression values,
to an emphasis on choice, which is represented by strong secular-rational and strong selfexpression
values (Fig. 8). Value change moving from constraint to choice is a fundamental
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