Henk Vinken: East Asian Values Surveys - Making a case for East Asian-origin values survey concepts

ZUMA – Arbeitsbericht 2006/05

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to social scientific work towards enhancing the cultural fit of comparative values surveys projects on a conceptual level both for Western and East Asian survey research communities and their publics. It starts with noting that, after a long period in which Western values were regarded superior (‘orientalism’), in recent decades certain East Asian and specifically Confucian values are much celebrated (‘reversed orientalism’). Yet, most contemporary cross-culturally comparative values surveys, also those surveying East Asian publics, still build on Western, universalist, individualist values conceptions only. Universalism claims values concepts have an absolute nature, are part of the basic human (psychological) condition, and are thus applicable in any cultural context. Particularism, more likely to be found in the East Asian context, claims that at least some concepts depend on the social context, can thus not be generalized, but consequently are unique to particular cultures. Universalism mimics individualism like particularism matches collectivism; values dimensions that are believed to distinguish Western from East Asian cultures. A subsequent review of recent values literature on the domains of work, politics, religion, and family life, more precisely illustrates the nature of these East Asian context values. Some concepts emerge across domains: sacrifice for one’s in-group, preservation of reciprocal relationship, and assurance of material benefits seem basic traits that cross the work, political, religious and family values domains in East Asia. The paper shows that most Western values are not universal and thus that comparative surveys building on this logic are inadequate. It is time to enrich our comparative surveys with insights from non-Western cultures. Doing so also enables us to survey how particular East Asian values really are. The paper finally proposes to engage in systemic analyses of East Asian values surveys and organize a series of seminars which include Western and East Asian survey experts who list the key candidate items for inclusion in future comparative values surveys and who discuss appropriate ‘collectivist’ survey methodologies.

Henk Vinken is director/owner of Pyrrhula BV, a private institute engaged in comparative values and generation research, an affiliate of ECCS, European Centre for Comparative Surveys, Mannheim, Germany, and an affiliate of OSA, Institute for Labour Studies, at Tilburg and Utrecht Universities, Netherlands. He was generously supported by a grant from ZUMA, Centre for Survey Research and Methodology, Mannheim, Germany, while writing this paper; this support is gratefully acknowledged. He wishes to thank Peter Mohler, Michael Braun, and Christof Wolf of ZUMA for their continuous support. Thanks also to Peter Ester of OSA for his encouragement, to members of the Consortium for Social Research and Infrastructure in Japan, more specifically to Kazufumi Manabe, Takashi Inoguchi, Ryozo Yoshino, Seiko Yamazaki, and Hiroshi Aramaki for their input and energy while debating preliminary parts of this paper, to Masamichi Sasaki of Chuo University for his advice, to Ken’ichi Ikeda of Tokyo University for sharing his thoughts and resources, to Ken’ichi Kawasaki of Komazawa University for supporting a visiting professorship during which ideas for this paper surfaced and to Tetsuo and Nobuko Mizukami for offering the perfect hide-out and great friendship while writing the largest part of this paper in Tokyo, Japan. Direct all correspondence to Henk Vinken, Schoolstraat 147, 5038 RK Tilburg, Netherlands. Email: hvinken@gmail.com.

 

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