A systemic approach to sociological research of individual values

Serhii Dembitskyi - PhD, senior research fellow, Department of the Methodology and Methods of Sociology, Institute of Sociology NASU, Kyiv (ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7958-3557)

Mykola Sydorov - PhD in physical–mathematical sciences, associate professor, head of Methodology and Methods of Sociological Research Department,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Faculty of Sociology (ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5333-8393)

Valentyna Pliushch - PhD student, department of social expertise, Institute of sociology, The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv (ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6945-4233)

Yevgeniy Sosniuk - PhD student, department of social-political studies, Institute of sociology, National academy of sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv (ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7161-5833)

Oksana Shalimova - PhD student, Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv (ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0531-8109)

Abstract. The paper presents the underpinnings of systematic approach to identifying and gauging individual-level values. First, the authors analysed how the “value” is conceptualised in works by M.Rokeach, R.Inglehart, G.Hofstede and S.Schwartz and came to the conclusion that all those conceptualisations focus on one particular component belonging to the inner structure of values. Hence an alternative interpretation was put forward according to which the inner structure of value is comprised of need(s), value orientation(s) and object(s) that is (are) valuable to a person. The authors also referred to H.Blumer’s ideas about the nature of objects belonging to individual worlds in order to ensure an adequate understanding of values.
The next step involved explaining differences between individual and supra-individual values. For this purpose, P.Blau’s ideas about emergent properties of social relations were used. The difference between individual values and interests was shown as well.
In total, thirteen fundamental individual-level values have been identified: material comfort, wealth, beauty, power, physical health, psychological comfort, interpersonal relations, knowledge, personal freedom, status, morality and ethical life, leisure, self-realization. This set of values has served as a basis for constructing a sociological test titled “Individual values and interests–13” (IVI–13).
In order to make sure that the test works, the authors conducted a pilot survey. The subsequent statistical analysis, first, made it possible to obtain the distribution of respondents’ answers to questions (that served as test indicators) and reveal the particularities of this distribution (by means of descriptive statistics); second, it helped to determine the relationship between the respondents’ answers and their sociodemographic characteristics (through the chi-square test of independence); and, third, it allowed identifying the structure of relationships among values (using the γ coefficient and network analysis).

Keywords: value, interest, emergent properties, sociological testing, IVI–13.

Publication in: ukr | rus

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