Conferences

Following Schwartz, who advanced the basis for structural theory of values, values express motivational goals and differentiate, precisely, by those expressed goals (Schwartz, 1996). Values analysis assumes a central stance in social research, conceptualizing them as organized and relatively durable systems of preferences. Values are expressed in a definite culture, understanding the latter in the anthropological sense; that is, as an enlarged and diverse aggregate of characteristics that at the limit is synonym of the notion of society.

Bearing in mind the actionalist properties of values – understood as their behavioural repercussion – the research program that the authors have being developing in this domain identifies patterns of values connected to social classes. However, other values settings may equally show relevant distinctions, either in an isolated way or combined with social classes, as it is the case of gender.

Analysing European Social Survey, round 3, the aim of this presentation is to illustrate how social class and gender structures contribute to shape patterns of life.