The Formation of Materialist and Postmaterialist Values

doi:10.1006/ssre.1996.0585

Social Science Research

Volume 26, Issue 1, March 1997, Pages 52-68

https://doi.org/10.1006/ssre.1996.0585 Get rights and content

Abstract

Inglehart's contentions regarding the adoption of materialist and postmaterialist values have provoked a lively debate. Inglehart's socialization and scarcity hypotheses together emphasize the enduring influence of the economic conditions during early adulthood. His more recent work stresses “formative security” within the family of origin. This paper models the formation of materialist and postmaterialist values. I distinguish five general influences on materialist and postmaterialist values: parental socialization, formative security within the family of origin, societal (or economic) formative security on reaching adulthood, education, and contemporary influences. These influences are modeled using parent–child data which include measures of values for both generations. Aspects of each of these general influences affects values. Socialization experiences within the family of origin, especially parental values, have the greatest influence. In addition aspects of the other general influences have substantial but differing effects on materialist and postmaterialist values. Finally, I discuss the implications of these findings for an expanded theory on the formation of materialist and postmaterialist values.

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^☆: Address reprint requests to Gary N. Marks, Sociology Program, Research School of the Social Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra A.C.T. 0200, Australia.

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Regular ArticleThe Formation of Materialist and Postmaterialist Values☆

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The Formation of Materialist and Postmaterialist Values☆