Values of Russians: The Dynamics and Relations Towards Economic Attitudes

Abstract

This study has reviewed theoretical and empirical studies of values and behavior. The results of the research of the dynamics of basic personal values of Russians from the Central Federal district from 1999 until 2010 and the relations of basic personal values to economic attitudes are presented. Dynamics of values are presented on the basis of the 5 waves of measures (1999, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010), each wave includes around 300 respondents. The sample from 2010 includes Russians and the respondents from the North Caucasus (N=278). We have found that from 1999 until 2011, the value priorities and value structures of the Russians of Central Russia have remained stable. The data for 2008 demonstrates a small number of statistically significant differences with the data of the neighboring measures, which, probably, reflects the impact of the economic crisis of 2008. Statistically significant differences were found when comparing the value priorities of different groups of the Russian population: ethnic and religious groups. The relations between values and attitudes to different types of economic behavior were examined. The patterns of these relationships are similar as well as different among the representatives of Christianity (the Central Federal District and the North Caucasus Federal District) and Islam (the North Caucasus Federal District) in Russia. Thus, our study showed that values remain fairly stable within a single culture; however, they are different for people of different cultures and may have a different impact on attitudes to different types of economic behavior.

Keywords: culture, values, economic behavior, economic attitudes, cross-cultural comparison

JEL Classification: A13