European and World Values Surveys Four-wave Integrated Data File, 1981-2004 (ICPSR 4531)

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European Values Study Group; World Values Survey Association

This is an external resource to which ICPSR links as a courtesy. These data are not available from ICPSR. Users should consult the data owners (via European and World Values Surveys Four-wave Integrated Data File, 1981-2004) directly for details on obtaining these resources.

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The World Values Surveys and European Values Surveys series was designed to enable a crossnational, crosscultural comparison of values and norms on a wide variety of topics and to monitor changes in values and attitudes across the globe. This data collection contains the survey data from the four waves of the World Values Surveys and European Values Surveys, carried out in 1981-1984, 1990-1993, 1995-1997, and 1999-2004. These survey responses have now been integrated into one dataset, to facilitate time series analysis.

The surveys provide data from representative national samples of the publics of approximately 81 societies (covering 60 countries) that contain 85 percent of the world's population and cover a full range of variation, from societies with per capita incomes below 300 dollars per year, to societies with per capita incomes of more than 35,000 dollars per year, from long-established democracies to authoritarian states, and from societies with market economies to societies that are in the process of emerging from state-run economies. The surveys cover societies that were historically shaped by a wide variety of religious and cultural traditions, from Christian to Islamic to Confucian to Hindu. The societies covered range from those whose culture emphasizes social conformity and group obligations to societies in which the main emphasis is on human emancipation and self-expression.

Broad topics covered in the integrated file include perception of life, family, work, traditional values, personal finances, religion and morale, the economy, politics and society, the environment, allocation of resources, contemporary social issues, national identity, and technology and its impact on society.

Specifically, respondents were asked whether the following acts were ever justifiable: suicide, cheating on taxes, lying, euthanasia, divorce, and abortion. Respondents were also asked about the groups and associations they belonged to, which ones they worked for voluntarily, the ethnic group(s) they would not want as neighbors, their general state of health, and whether they felt they had free choice and control over their lives. A wide range of items was included on the meaning and purpose of life, such as respondents' views on the value of scientific advances, the demarcation of good and evil, and religious behavior and beliefs. Respondents were also queried about their attitudes toward morality, politics, sexual freedom, marriage, single parenting, child-rearing, and the importance of work, family, politics, and religion in their lives. Questions relating to work included what financial and social benefits were most important to them in a job, how much pride they took in their work, if they were happy with their current position, and their views on owner/state/employee management of business. Questions pertaining to the stability of the world economy and whether respondents were happy with their financial situation were also asked. Respondents' opinions on various forms of political action, the most important aims for their countries, confidence in various civil and governmental institutions, and whether they would fight in a war for their country were also elicited.

Demographic information includes family income, number of people residing in the home, size of locality, region of residence, occupation of the head of household, and the respondent's age, sex, occupation, education, religion, religiosity, political party and union membership, and left-right political self-placement.

Portugal   Iceland   Global   Greece   Armenia   South Korea   Great Britain   Austria   Latvia   Morocco   El Salvador   Iran   Bosnia-Hercegovina   Luxembourg   Brazil   Algeria   Iraq   Slovenia   Chile   Colombia   Argentina   Hungary   Georgia (Republic)   Japan   Ukraine   Tanzania   Moldova   Belarus   Northern Ireland   India   Albania   New Zealand   Canada   Turkey   Belgium   Taiwan   Finland   South Africa   Italy   Macedonia   Peru   Germany   Vietnam (Socialist Republic)   Puerto Rico   Singapore   United States   Egypt   China (Peoples Republic)   Russia   Malta   Saudi Arabia   Netherlands   Sweden   Pakistan   Ireland   Poland   Slovakia   France   Serbia   Jordan   Nigeria   Bulgaria   Lithuania   Kyrgyzstan   Croatia   Romania   Uruguay   Philippines   Switzerland   Spain   Venezuela   Azerbaijan   Bangladesh   Czech Republic   Norway   Dominican Republic   Denmark   Mexico   Uganda   Zimbabwe   Israel   Australia   Montenegro   Indonesia   Estonia
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  1. (1) This data collection supersedes all four previous ICPSR versions of the European and World Values Surveys:

    • World Values Survey, 1981-1983 (ICPSR9309)

    • World Values Survey, 1981-1984 and 1990-1993 (ICPSR6160)

    • World Values Surveys and European Values Surveys, 1981-1984, 1990-1993, and 1995-1997 (ICPSR2790)

    • World European and World Value Surveys Integrated Data File, 1999-2002, Release I (ICPSR3975)

    (2) These data are not available from ICPSR. Users may access the documentation and the data (for download or online analysis) via the following Web sites:

    1. European Values Study Home Page
    2. World Values Survey Home Page
    3. Bancos de Datos ASEP/JDS Home Page
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