ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: The present research assumed that individual differences in personal values would go along with globalization. Study 1 confirmed the hypotheses of Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) by showing that Indian youth (N = 336) with a comparatively low degree of globalization put significantly more emphasis than European youth (N = 163) on values related to authority, in-group loyalty, and spiritual purity, as measured by questionnaires. Study 2, however, asking the Indian sub-sample for their decisions in moral dilemmas, found that their degree of globalization predicted “utilitarian” decisions, i.e., more globalized participants tended to lose sight of their ethical values in return for financial gain. Whereas Study 1 points to the fact that Indian youth still differ from European youth with respect to their ethical positions, Study 2 indicates that Indian society is changing and only part of Indian youth is willing to adhere to their cultural principles when some short-term benefit is at stake.
