Projects / Programmes
The Values of Slovenians and Europeans - European values study
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 5.03.00 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| S210 |
Social sciences |
Sociology |
values, attitudes, comparative measurement, trends, social indicators, sociology
Researchers (11)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
One of the big questions of our time is which are the integrating elements of a modern national state, keeping in mind continuous processes of differentiation, widespread migration and globalization. The public and political actors expect that social sciences will be able to shed light on the current trends and will be useful in solving problems that arise from them. However, social sciences can not tackle these problems without carrying out systematic and longitudinal measurements of these phenomena.
European Values Study constitutes a high-quality instrument for measuring social trends and is a source of cross-nationally comparable indicators of social development and the results of social policies in different areas. More specifically, it observes the effects of these policies at the level of subjective indicators, as it measures the perceptions of these policies on the part of the citizens. The instrument of measurement (questionnaire) provides comparability across approximately 30 European nations and covers all relevant social topics: political system, social values, subjective and objective well-being, quality of life, social minorities, immigration, social exclusion, family patterns and planning, employment situation, economic attitudes, health and health system, media etc.
The importance of the European Values Study within Slovenian context is twofold. It provides reliable indicators of the dynamic of public attitudes toward different social systems, but it also offers opportunity for making systematic and reliable comparisons between Slovenian data and the data in other European countries. Putting Slovenian data in wider European perspective in favourable both for analytical purposes, as well as policy goals.
In addition to substantial gains, the European Social Survey project also enables continuous transfer of cutting-edge methodological expertise into Slovenian research and academic community. The project also incorporates the developement of a new information tool for visualizing social science data
Significance for science
- The importance of the European Values Survey in that it develops reliable indicators of the dynamic of public attitudes toward different social systems. It also offers opportunity for making systematic and reliable comparisons between Slovenian data and the data in other European countries. Putting Slovenian data in wider European perspective in favourable both for analytical purposes, as well as policy goals.
It has become customary to judge the quality of a society by the use of objective indicators, predominantly socio-economic ones. Yet in most developed nations in Europe and elsewhere, increases in income, health and education have not produced comparable increases in happiness or life satisfaction. The EVS data will enable academics and policy-makers to evaluate the success of European countries at promoting the personal and social well-being of their citizens.
- The importance of the European Values Study within Slovenian context is twofold. It provides reliable indicators of the dynamic of public attitudes toward different social systems, but it also offers opportunity for making systematic and reliable comparisons between Slovenian data and the data in other countries. Putting Slovenian data in wider perspective in favourable both for analytical purposes, as well as policy goals. In addition to substantial gains, the European Values Study project also enables continuous transfer of cutting-edge methodological expertise into Slovenian research and academic community.
Besides this major goal, the project has two subsidiary goals that will be accomplished through the partnership with Wisdom, Austria:
• Enhanced analysis of comparative value patterns between Slovenia and Austria, two countries that have shared common historical background, but then experienced separate social and economic development in different political systems. The analysis will seek to identify differences in value and behavioral patterns resulting from this period and its implications for future social, political, and economic development of both countries.
• Developing a new information tool for visualizing social science data.
Significance for the country
a) Governance – In any contemporary society social surveys are a powerful tool for social and political self-observation and EVS outputs indirectly affect the level of governance and quality of life, assuming the gradual trickle of findings from basic scientific research to other social systems.
b) Strategic development – Policy-makers are an important target group of prospective users who employ EVS outputs as information basis for the formulation of their policies, identification of pressing social issues, creating political strategies, taking specific measures or planning public information campaigns.
c) Quality of life - Large number of social indicators collected may alert the social scientists, policy-makers, non-government organizations, media or the general public to issues, such as the growth of anti-democratic potentials, spots of social conflicts, persisting inequalities and marginalization and similar, enabling relevant players to react timely and appropriately.
d) National identity - New social indicators will expand and deepen the knowledge on Slovenian society in European and global context and will both directly and indirectly contribute to charting the contours of its specific identity. By participating in cross-national cooperations and publishing in international journals SPO will contribute to making the Slovenia a more recognizable and analytically attractive case.
e) Facilitating knowledge transfer - participation in numerous distinguished cross-national empirical projects results in prompt exchange of knowledge and experience and its passing on to university students. Many under-graduate and post-graduate courses at the Faculty of Social Sciences are already based on EVS project research expertise, both at conceptual and methodological level. We anticipate that EVS will continue to contribute substantially to the formation of a new generation of methodologically competent young researchers.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2008,
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2008,
2009,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
