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Comparing Cultures World Surveys and East Asian Surveys Henk Vinken henkvinken.nl

Comparing Cultures World Surveys and East Asian Surveys Henk Vinken www.henkvinken.nl. Invited Lecture Chuo University September 19, 2008, Tokyo, Japan.

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Comparing Cultures World Surveys and East Asian Surveys Henk Vinken henkvinken.nl

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  1. Comparing CulturesWorld Surveys and East Asian SurveysHenk Vinkenwww.henkvinken.nl Invited Lecture Chuo UniversitySeptember 19, 2008, Tokyo, Japan

  2. Vinken, H. (2007). Religion and traditional values in East Asia. Exploring five comparative values surveys in East Asia. Working paper for School of Sociology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. Vinken, H. (2006). East Asian Values Surveys. Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts. Mannheim: ZUMA (ZUMA Arbeitsbericht 2006/05; ISSN 1610-4110). Four chapters in P. Ester, M. Braun & P. Mohler (Eds.) (2006), Globalization, value change, and generations. A cross-national and intergenerational perspective. Leiden & Boston: Brill (ISBN-13 978-90-04-15217-7; ISBN-10 90-04-15217-3) (Series: European Values Studies, Vol 10.; ISSN 1568-5926). Vinken, H. (2005). Western bias in the sociology of religion. Universalist discourses in sociology and particularist indicators in four key surveys. Working paper for School of Sociology, Kwansei Gakuin University, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan (Download is a revised version submitted to an international social science journal October 2006). Vinken, H., J. Soeters & P. Ester (Eds.) (2004). Comparing cultures. Dimensions of culture in a comparative perspective. Leiden & Boston: Brill (ISBN 90-04-13115-9) (Series: International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology, Vol. 93; ISSN 0074-8684).

  3. OutlineWorld SurveysPolitical DomainCarte Blanche LeadershipConclusions

  4. World Surveys Famous contemporary global values surveysWVS,World Values SurveySVS, Schwartz Values SurveyISSP, International Social Survey ProgrammeNES, National Election StudiesEtc. Fielded in many (East) Asian countries ! Values* Latent, unobservable constructs of what is regarded a desirable state of affairs over against another state of affairs* Guiding principles for action: influence “the selection of modes, means, and ends of action” * Stable and durable: do not disappear when situation changes (<-> attitudes, opinions, etc.)* Most ideal to compare cultures (over time) Most contemporary global values surveys concepts and methodologies are of Western-origin

  5. World Surveys Most contemporary global values surveys concepts and methodologies are of Western-originBias going in two waysGeert Hofstede, 2007: “Issues prominent in the researcher’s culture but not necessarily relevant to the respondents will be included, and issues crucial in the respondents’ culture but not in the researchers’ may be overlooked”. If global values surveys are Western, then do we measure and compare Western values or desired states of affairs only?

  6. Political Domain PoliticsWhich values relevant in and originating from East Asia? Key wordsConfucianism: working for the good of the family, assuring material well-being, and virtuous leadership (including perseverance and sacrifice); rule by talented AND benevolent elite with ‘carte blanche leadership’ (dependence public who expect services). Legalism: expecting and accepting strong state that addresses all needs. Assuring mutual (material) benefits versus personal trust. High network capital/strong support organisations tied to authorities. EvidenceWestern scholars celebrate universal nature of liberal democracy, individual rights and independent civil society. Global values studies focus on personal trust, voter turn-out, partisanship, the ‘good’ citizen and ‘civil society’ separated from state/business sector.

  7. Political Domain Many Western scholars: - accept inevitable democratic future -- emphasis on absolute nature of values -Few ask: - can own ideas be enriched by non-Western ones? -

  8. Carte Blanche Leadership Classic non-Western, ‘alternative’ model:- confucianism and legalism -- rule by virtuous, benevolent elite -- expect/accept strong state institutions - “Leadership based on unconditional and unanimous dependence of rank and file on their leader… with the general expectation that services will be rendered on their behalf by their leader”(Ikeda and Richey, 2005)

  9. Carte Blanche Leadership Culture- or political-reality-hypothesis?Culture hypothesis:- traditional East Asian values -Political reality hypothesis:- opportunity structure -

  10. Carte Blanche Leadership East Asian and Western surveysMany issues of question wording- concept equivalence -Carte blanche leadership:- AB: decisions by experts they think best for ctry - - WVS: experts not gov. decide they think best for ctry -- AnB: various items (see next) –- EAVS: improve ctry if leave all to leaders, iso. people discus –- ISSP: no cbl-items -

  11. Carte Blanche Leadership East Asian and Western surveysAnB, Asian Barometer: cbl-items (1 factor)- gov. leaders like family, follow their decisions -- gov. decide if ideas be discussed in society -- judges in imp. cases accept view executive branch -- get rid of parliament/elections, have experts decide -- gov. checked by legislature cannot accomp. great things -

  12. Carte Blanche Leadership East Asian and Western surveysOrder in East Asian countries/cities- AB: China, South Korea, Japan -- AnB: China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan -- EAVS: Kunming, Beijing, Taiwan, Hangzhou, Shanghai,Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Japan -- WVS: Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore -Order in terms of diversifying power:- AnB, AB, EAVS, WVS -- eta2: 0,19, 0,05, 0,03, 0,02 -

  13. Carte Blanche Leadership Culture, situation or generation?Generational cleavages in cbl only in:- AB: none -- AnB: Hong Kong (1970+ opposes) -- EAVS: Kunming (1970+ opposes) -- WVS: Japan (1970+ supports) -Cleavages if:- significance p -0,05 ánd eta2 +0,05 -- in all other cases generations similar -

  14. Carte Blanche Leadership Culture, situation or generation?1) Generation (demo) 2) situation (country) 3) culture (values):- AB: country -- AnB: country, culture, education -- EAVS: country, generation, education -- WVS: generation, education -Conclusion:- most likely political reality hypothesis at work -- yet, culture hypothesis cannot be rejected -- preservation and harmony values important -

  15. Conclusions 1) Carte blanche leadership: - a multidimensional concept (AnB) -2) Info on country/city of origin most important- proxy political reality, opp. structures, traditions, regimes -3) Culture important too:- preservation and harmony means acceptance unequal relationships, conflict-avoidance, conformity with expert-rule -

  16. Conclusions 4) Generational cleavages least relevant:- disappear when entering country info -- yet, modestly return after entering culture (AnB) -- 1970+ cohorts more supportive to clb -5) Western concepts in WVS and AB least helpful- expert rule no antagonism of gov. rule -- false conclusion that values do not matter -- that clb is matter of demographics (individual traits) -

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