Reconsidering Schwartz's 10 Basic Human Value Types And Locating Chinese Young People

Based on previous studies on values, culture, and human needs, Schwartz concluded that there are three kinds of basic human needs which include: 1. Needs of individuals as biological organisms, 2. Requisites of coordinated social interaction, and 3. Survival and welfare needs of groups. From these three needs, Schwartz derived 57 value items across cultures, which in turn statistically and consistently fall into 10 motivational types. The 10 types are further ideally divided into 4 axial dimensions: openness to change, v.s. conservation, self-enhancement, v.s. self-transcendence. More research and applications of these 10 motivational value types continued to be conducted to get a more in-depth understanding.As a part of the Shanghai Chinese Values Project (SCVP), this paper will study these 10 value types in China's context for two purposes: to find out how the 10 value types and the corresponding 57 value items fit the Chinese culture and what the changing trend of Chinese young people's values. 210 postgraduates and undergraduates (104 males and 106 females) from Shanghai and Beijing are asked to pick out 10 items they value most from Schwartz's 57 value items. Respondents'results are compared with 1997 and 2003 results and males are compared with females. Among the 10 most chosen items, the meaning of several items appears to be ambiguous in the Chinese context, so further interviews were conducted. The research results show that in China's current context, 5 of the 10 value types could be further categorized and part of the 57 value items in Schwartz's SVS instrument bear new connotations; at the same time, changing trends have been detected among Chinese young people.The significance of the paper lie in three aspects: firstly, it gives insights for the further study in the application of SVS instrument and Schwartz's value theory in the China's context; secondly, it shows important changes in Chinese young people. Thirdly, this thesis will encourage further studies on Schwartz's basic human value set to make it serve better as a global value measurement instrument in the future.