Values and Social Change in Britain

367 Pages·1985·29.036 MB·English

by  Mark Abrams, David Gerard, Noel Timms (eds.)

VALUES AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN BRITAIN
STUDIES IN THE
CONTEMPORARY VALUES OF MODERN SOCIETY
The series is based on the large-scale social research programme
initiated by the European Value Systems Study Group, Amsterdam,
in the late 1970s and developed by a number of universities and
research centres in different parts of the world. The series will
explore the moral and social values of contemporary society prepar
ing individual national reports, intercontinental and intercultural
comparative studies and thematic reviews of major topics including
the family and marriage; religion and personal morality; work
attitudes and political participation. Extensive use will be made of the
unique 27 nation data set possessed by collaborating centres sup
plemented by newly commissioned follow-up studies where appropri
ate and relevant research materials made available from other
sources.
Already published
Mark Abrams, David Gerard and Noel Timms (editors)
VALUES AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN BRITAIN
Stephen Harding and David Phillips (with Michael Fogarty)
CONTRASTING VALUES IN WESTERN EUROPE (forthcoming)
Further titles in preparation
VALUES AND SOCIAL
CHANGE IN BRITAIN
Edited by
Mark Abrams, David Gerard and
Noel Timms
M
in association with the
Palgrave Macmillan
©The European Value Systems Study Group 1985
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1985 978-0-333-38676-7
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission
of this publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied
or transmitted save w1th written permission or in accordance
with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended).
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to
this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and
civil claims for damages.
First published 1985
Published by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS
and London
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Values and social change in Britain.
1. Social values 2. Great Britain-
Social conditions---194>-
1. Abrams, Marks II. Gerard, David, 1940-
III. Timms, Noel IV.European Value Systems Study Group
303.3'72 HN385.5
ISBN 978-0-333-38677-4 ISBN 978-1-349-17924-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-17924-4
This book is dedicated to the families of our contributors
and to the sponsors of the British Study: private individ
uals, charitable trusts and foundations, church organ
isations and companies. Without their patience and gener
osity it would not have been possible.
Contents
List of Figures ix
List of Tables x
Acknowledgements xv
Membership of the European Value Systems Study Group xvi
Notes on the Contributors xvii
Introduction XIX
x On Methods and Morals x
A. H. Halsey
2 Demographic Correlates of Values 21
Mark Abrams
3 Religious Attitudes and Values 50
David Gerard
4 The Structure of Moral Values 93
David Phillips and Stephen Harding
5 Marriage and the Family 109
Jennifer Brown, Miriam Comber, Karen Gibson and
Susan Howard
6 Participation and Political Values 146
David Phillips
7 British Attitudes to Work 173
Michael Fogarty
8 Values and Voluntary Work 201
David Gerard
vii
viii Contents
9 Values and the Nature of Psychological Well-being 227
Stephen Harding
10 Theological and Pastoral Reflections 253
John Mahoney
11 Subjectivism and Social Planning 279
David Watson
General Appendix: Research Approach and
Questionnaire Details 297
Technical Appendix and Glossary of Terms 327
Bibliography 334
Index 347
List of Figures
5.1 Aspects contributing to successful marriage SSA-1 125
5.2 Reasons considered sufficient for divorce SSA-1 131
6.1 Distribution of 'left-right' positions 155
9.1 A model of happiness or psychological well-being 246
9.2 The relationship between psychological well-being
and self-reported health 248
ix
List of Tables
1.1 Some British attitudes in European perspective 13
2.1 Age composition of each class 22
2.2 Per cent of respondents endorsing 'traditional' values 28
2.3 Global values by social class 28
2.4 Global values by class and age 29
2.5 Percentage endorsement of traditional values by age
and social class 31
2.6 Percentage endorsement of traditional religious
values by social class and age 32
2.7 Percentage endorsement of traditional sex values 34
2.8 Percentage endorsement of traditional family values 36
2.9 Percentage endorsement of patriotic values 38
2.10 Percentage endorsement of traditional work values 40
2.11 Percentage endorsement of traditional property
values 43
2.12 Average life-satisfaction scores (Max 10) in each class 48
3.1 Indicators of religious commitment, Great Britain
compared with the European average/percentages 60
3.2 Importance of God to various groups, identified by
religious disposition, religious practice, conception of
God and orthodox belief 62
3.3 Relationship between religious disposition and
institutional attachment 66
3.4 Percentage distribution of sample according to overall
religious commitments 67
3.5 Socio-demographic profile 70
3.6 Religious commitment by age, sex and working status
of women 71
X