An Introduction to Postmaterialism and Its Empirical Foundation

Abstract

This article provides a succinct introduction to the postmaterialist theses raised by Ronald Inglehart and Christian Welzel. After discussing the anthropological and psychological origins of postmaterialist values, this article elucidates how the “human development theory” is represented in some prominent empirical studies in the field. This article not only aims to explain the conceptual framework for studying postmaterialist patterns but also tries to demonstrate how research on value change and public opinion have benefited from transnational survey projects such as the World Values Survey and how the “Asian uniqueness” debate remains to be addressed by future scholars.

Keywords: Postmaterialism, Ronald Inglehart, Christian Welzel