ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the extent to which the values and outlook of the peoples of the various member countries of the European Community (EC) agree or differ. It shows that Europe is in fact best thought of as a loose collection of countries with disparate rather than similar values. The chapter argues that individualism is not very conducive to conventional forms of family life, since these require responsiveness to the needs of partners and offspring and so interfere with the pursuit of self-interest. It draws on data from both European Values Systems Study Group surveys to examine value changes that took place between 1981 and 1990 in the nine EC member countries that participated in both surveys. The chapter focuses on the following areas: family life, religion, and the socio-political domain. Certainly the 1980s saw changes in the attitudes and outlooks of the various member countries of the EC.
