ABSTRACT
In his book Modernization and Postmodernization, Inglehart (1997) embeds his theoretical approach of an intergenerational value change toward postmaterialist value priorities into a broader theoretical approach of social change, whereby two successive phases are distinguished. Modernization is a process that transforms a traditional society into a modern one. Historically, modernization rst took place in Protestant countries, where the emergence of the Protestant ethic (Weber, 1992/1930) facilitated the rise of capitalism, which contributed to the Industrial Revolution. During this phase “status-quo”, cf. p. 316, p. 320 oriented traditional, usually religious norms were supplanted by achievement-oriented, increasingly secular norms. Aer World War II, advanced industrial societies have attained unprecedentedly high levels of physiological and economic security. Due to a diminishing marginal utility of further economic accumulation, a postmodern shi takes place in Western Europe and North America. At the individual level, work ethic conducive to maximizing economic gains is assumed to gradually fade from top priority: subjective well-being and the desire for meaningful work are becoming more crucial for a growing segment of the population.
