Is Self-Expression Chic? Globalisation, Value Change and Convergence in Latin America

Abstract

The literature concerning human values change, argues the main factor driving increasing levels of secularization and self-expression is the improvement of material conditions. In fact, studies succeeded to present evidence of the strong relationship between GDP and post-materialist attitudes at the national level. Still, in this study, we demonstrate this relationship is not as strong in Latin America. Based on the theory of mass-elite convergence of values, we argue that the main factor driving value change in Latin America is globalisation and not economic development. With globalisation, attitudes and values hitherto exclusive to the elites became socially desirable and praised (chic) resulting in their massive dissemination. Using data from the World Values Survey, we confirm that variables related to material conditions are the best predictor for secularization and self-expression among Western European countries. However, in Latin America, the effects of economic development are weaker, and the evidence indicates that variables related to social globalisation are more important to explain value change patterns.
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Author Biography

Henrique Carlos De Oliveira De Castro

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Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul
Henrique Carlos De Oliveira De Castro Henrique Carlos is Associate Professor at the Graduate Program in Political Science, Department of Economics and International Relations at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. He is the principal investigator of the World Values Survey Brazil. His research interests include political culture, comparative politics and public policy. Daniel Capistrano Daniel Capistrano is Post-doctoral research fellow University College Dublin, School of Education. His research spreads across distinct fields such as comparative education, public policy, sociology of education and social research methods.   Sonia Maria Ranincheski Sonia Ranincheski is Associate Professor at the Graduate Program in Political Science, Department of Economics and International Relations at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. Her main research interest is on elites, political culture and public policy.   Elvis Bisong Tambe Elvis Bisong Tambe is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Graduate Program in Political Science, Department of Economics and International Relations at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. His main research interest includes political participation, public opinion, electoral participation, democracy and democratization. His works in these areas has been published in the European Journal of East Asian Studies and Commonwealth & Comparative Politics.  
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