Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31192/np.17.3.9
Gender as a Predictor of the Young People’s Values in Herzegovina
Ivana Visković
orcid.org/0000-0002-4029-044X
; Filozofski fakultet, Sveučilište u Splitu, Split, Hrvatska
Marijana Škutor
orcid.org/0000-0003-4612-4618
; Fakultet društvenih znanosti dr. Milenka Brkića, Sveučilište Hercegovina, Međugorje, Bosna i Hercegovina
Abstract
We can define values as starting points and desired outcomes of actions of an individual. There have been certain concerns about the ways of building up the value orientation of an individual but there has also been an agreement with the opinion that basic life values are built in one’s early childhood as well. For most people family is the first educational community, thus the importance of the family itself in taking over of the values. This research involves 545 young people in Herzegovina, aged 18 to 27. A number of measuring instruments have been constructed for the purpose of this research. These include »The Schwartz´s Value Survey« used with the resistant variables (gender, age, status, place of growing up). As the most important terminal values data subjects point out family, friendship, freedom and self-esteem. For them, wealth, authority and social power are the least important. A relative majority of data subjects (N=119; 21.8%) states that social power is opposed to their values. They are authority-averse as well (N=61; 11.2%). As the assessment of the instrumental values is concerned, they point out health, parental respect, the ability to define personal goals and honesty. Obedience, moderation, modesty and curiosity are concerned to be less important values. The concern is that individuals (N=7;1.3%) assess world peace as being opposed to their values while 1.5% (N=8) assess it as not important. Environmental protection is assessed as being opposed to their values by 2% of the data subjects while 0.9% (N=5) assess it as not important. Although this is not statistically significant, it is indicative of possible negative social effects, unacceptable and destructive behaviour. At the p≤ 0.00 significance level the statistically significant difference in assessment of values was identified according to gender. Female subjects assess equality, mental health, spirituality and religiousness, affection, decency, world peace, family, respect and willingness to forgive as more important while male subjects prefer values as social power, authority, material assets and ambition. There was no statistically significant difference found according to gender for some terminal (contentment, freedom, life excitements, life purpose, creativity, respecting tradition, self-control, privacy, aesthetic values, social status and social justice, friendship and wisdom) and instrumental values (being independent, competent, enterprising, modest, responsible, loyal, honest and opened, having freedom of choice and being healthy). Data subjects assess that they have adopted the values of responsibility, friendship, politeness and health care in their families.
Keywords
basic values; transfer of values; value orientation
Hrčak ID:
228408
URI
Publication date:
25.11.2019.
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