How is postmaterialism measured?

The best-known method asks people to choose the two most important goals among maintaining order, fighting rising prices, giving people more say and protecting free speech. Choosing the first two marks a materialist; choosing the last two marks a postmaterialist.

Postmaterialism

🏛️ Politics & Public Administration By CampusDown Wiki Editorial Team Last updated October 27, 2026

Postmaterialism is the theory that generations raised in economically prosperous and secure conditions come to value self-expression, political participation, the environment and quality of life more than material values such as economic growth and order. Political scientist Ronald Inglehart proposed it in 1971, calling the intergenerational value change in Europe a silent revolution. The theory has been widely used to explain new political issues and social movements in advanced industrial societies.

Contents

1. Two hypotheses
2. Measurement and the World Values Survey
3. Critiques and cultural backlash
4. FAQ
5. References

Two hypotheses

Inglehart (1977) explained value change with two hypotheses. The scarcity hypothesis holds that people place the greatest value on what is in short supply: those who lived with hunger and the threat of war prioritize economic and physical security, but once these are satisfied, needs for belonging, self-expression and self-realization become important. The socialization hypothesis holds that basic values are formed by conditions during one's formative years and change little in adulthood, so value change occurs slowly through generational replacement rather than within individuals. Inglehart (1971) reported that young Western Europeans raised in postwar affluence were much more postmaterialist than their parents.

Measurement and the World Values Survey

Inglehart created a simple index asking respondents to choose the two most important goals among maintaining order in the nation, fighting rising prices, giving people more say in government decisions and protecting freedom of speech; those choosing the first two are classified as materialists and those choosing the last two as postmaterialists. The measure was carried into the World Values Survey and used to track value change in about 100 countries. Inglehart (1990) reported a steady rise in the share of postmaterialists in advanced societies, and Inglehart and Baker (2000) showed that modernization changes values while religious and cultural traditions leave lasting imprints. The theory has also been used to explain new social movements, such as environmental and women's movements, and the rise of Green parties.

Critiques and cultural backlash

Clarke and Dutt (1991) criticized the index for depending heavily on the prices item, making it sensitive to short-term economic conditions such as unemployment. Inglehart and Abramson (1994) countered that generational effects remain after controlling for economic conditions. Others argue that placing materialism and postmaterialism on a single dimension is an oversimplification. More recently, Norris and Inglehart (2019) argued that the spread of postmaterialist values provoked a cultural backlash among older and more conservative groups who felt threatened, fueling the growth of authoritarian populism seen in Trump's election and Brexit. The theory thus continues to be discussed, alongside modernization theory, as a leading account linking value change and political change.

FAQ

What is postmaterialism in simple terms?: It is the idea that people raised in affluent conditions, where basic needs are met, come to value freedom, participation, the environment and quality of life more than money and security. This change is thought to happen slowly as generations replace one another.
How is postmaterialism measured?: The best-known method asks people to choose the two most important goals among maintaining order, fighting rising prices, giving people more say and protecting free speech. Choosing the first two marks a materialist; choosing the last two marks a postmaterialist.

Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26

References

Inglehart, R. (1971). The silent revolution in Europe: Intergenerational change in post-industrial societies. American Political Science Review, 65(4), 991–1017. The article that first proposed the postmaterialist value shift.
Inglehart, R. (1977). The Silent Revolution: Changing Values and Political Styles Among Western Publics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. The book that set out the scarcity and socialization hypotheses.
Inglehart, R. (1990). Culture Shift in Advanced Industrial Society. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Cross-national long-term evidence of value change.
Clarke, H. D., & Dutt, N. (1991). Measuring value change in Western industrialized societies: The impact of unemployment. American Political Science Review, 85(3), 905–920. A measurement critique: the index is sensitive to unemployment.
Inglehart, R., & Abramson, P. R. (1994). Economic security and value change. American Political Science Review, 88(2), 336–354. A reply to critics on economic security and value change.
Inglehart, R., & Baker, W. E. (2000). Modernization, cultural change, and the persistence of traditional values. American Sociological Review, 65(1), 19–51. Value change with modernization, yet persistent cultural traditions.
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. (2019). Cultural Backlash: Trump, Brexit, and Authoritarian Populism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Links backlash against postmaterialist change to populism.

Reports and materials that use this theory (Korean)

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This article was last updated on October 27, 2026. It is based on widely recognized original works and textbooks; when citing it in a paper, please check the original sources listed in the references.