Stability and Change of Personal and (Post)materialist Values among Croatian Citizens

Abstract

The aim was to determine the stability of human values among
Croatian citizens within Schwartz's theory of basic human values
(Schwartz, 1992) in the period between 2008/09 and 2011,
and Inglehart’s theory of postmaterialism (Inglehart, 1977) in
the period between 1999 and 2017/2018. It was checked
whether the eventual change was universal, or whether it
depended on sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age
and education). The research is based on representative data
collected in two waves of European Social Survey and three
waves of European Value Study. In terms of personal values, the
results suggest universal stability over change in the period from
2008/09 to 2011 (there is a possibility that change depends on
individual sociodemographic characteristics). In contrast, in
2008 compared to 1999 and 2017/18, postmaterialist values
are given temporary and universal (independent of sociodemographic characteristics) lower priority. Findings on
sociodemographic characteristics as sources of variation in
values confirm age as an important source of variation in
personal values, while with respect to gender and education,
very small differences in personal and postmaterialist values
have been obtained.