ABSTRACT
In 1970 to 1971 hypothesized that the value priorities of Western publics were shifting from Materialist values toward Postmaterialist values—from giving top priority to physical sustenance and safety, toward heavier emphasis on belonging, self-expression and the quality of life. This chapter examines cross-national survey data over a 24-year period. It shows a clear and statistically significant trend toward Postmaterialist values in almost all of the societies for which we now have detailed time series measurements over this period. These values also show short-term fluctuations linked with changing rates of inflation and unemployment, as the value change thesis implies; but the long-term trend seems to result mainly from intergenerational replacement. The age differences shown are striking. Striking period effects are evident: there was a clear tendency for each cohort to dip toward the Materialist pole during the recession of the mid-1970s and again during the recessions of the early 1980s and the early 1990s.
