Human Values of Colombian People. Evidence for the Functionalist Theory of Values
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Human values of colombian people. Evidence for the functionalist theory of values Human values of colombian people. Evidence for the functionalist theoryof values Valores Humanos de los Colombianos. Evidencia de la Teoría Funcionalista de los Valores Recibido: Febrero de 201228 de mayo de 2010. Rubén Ardila Revisado: Agosto de 20124 de junio de 2012. National University of Colombia, Colombia Aceptado: Octubre de 2012 Valdiney V. Gouveia Universidad Federal de Paraíba, Brasil Emerson Diógenes de Medeiros Universidad Federal de Piauí, Brasil This paper was supported in part by grant of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development to the second author. Authors are grateful to this agency. Correspondence must be addressed to Rubén Ardila, National University of Colombia. E-mail: [email protected]. Abstract Resumen The objective of this research work has been to get to El objetivo de esta investigación ha sido conocer la orientación know the axiological orientation of Colombians, and axiológica de los colombianos, y reunir evidencias empíricas gather empirical evidence regarding the suitability of the con respecto a la adecuación de la teoría funcionalista de functionalist theory of values in Colombia, testing its content los valores en Colombia, comprobando sus hipótesis de and structure hypothesis and the psychometric properties contenido y estructura y las propiedades psicométricas de of its measurement (Basic Values Questionnaire BVQ). The su medida (el Cuestionario de Valores Básicos, CVB). El BVQ evaluates sexuality, success, social support, knowledge, CVB evalúa sexualidad, éxito, apoyo social, conocimiento, emotion, power, affection, religiosity, health, pleasure, emoción, poder, afectividad, religiosidad, salud, placer, prestige, obedience, personal stability, belonging, beauty, prestigio, obediencia, estabilidad personal, pertenencia, tradition, survival, and maturity. Two hundred and thirty belleza, tradición, supervivencia y madurez. Participaron 230 people participated (112 men and 118 women) whose personas (112 varones y 118 mujeres) con edad promedio average age was 28.7 years old, from 50 cities and towns de 28.7 años, provenientes de 50 ciudades y pueblos de of Colombia. They answered theBVQ and demographic Colombia. Contestaron el CVB y preguntas demográficas. questions. The results gave support to thecontent hypothesis Los resultados respaldan las hipótesis de contenido (seis (six valorative sub-functions: excitement, promotion, existence, subfunciones valorativas: experimentación, realización, suprapersonal, interactive and normative) and to structure (the existencia, suprapersonal, interactiva y normativa) y values represented in two dimensions: orientation type and estructura (los valores representados en dos dimensiones: motivation type). Verifying previous research, it was found tipo de orientación y tipo de motivador). Corroborando that Colombians presented a value orientation which was investigaciones anteriores, se encontró que los colombianos more social than personal, and more idealistic (humanist) presentan una orientación valorativa más social que personal, than materialistic. The main values were success, maturity y más idealista (humanista) que materialista. Los principales and affection. The least important were power, tradition, valores fueron éxito, madurez y afectividad. Los menos Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología Volumen 44 No 3 pp. 105-117 2012 ISSN 0120-0534 105 Ardila, Gouveia y Medeiros beauty and emotion. In conclusion, there is an initial importantes fueron poder, tradición, belleza y emoción. evidence of the suitability about the functionalist theory of En conclusión, existen evidencias iniciales de la adecuación values in this culture, although it is advisable to conduct de la teoría funcionalista de los valores en dicha cultura, new studies, even thinking in an emic measurement of the aunque se recomienda realizar nuevos estudios, incluso values in this country. pensando en una medida emic de los valores en este país. Key words: Values, Colombia, functionalist theory of values. Palabras clave: Valores, Colombia, Teoría funcionalista. Values are a key element in the cognitive system of people, importance to the values of hedonism, benevolence and allowing them to explain their attitudes, opinions and self-direction. These results suggest a more personal than behavior (Rokeach, 1973). Therefore, to know which values social value orientation, contrary to the previous discoveries are priorities in certain people, groups or cultures, it is presented by Hofstede (2001). They are equally opposed important to understand them including their preferences to the ones stated by Schlösser (2006), who observed and decisions. See also Akutsu & Torres da Paz (2011), that Colombia showed high scores in agreeableness, and Navarro-Saldaña et al (2007) Certainly, to identify the religiosity and authoritarianism, indicators of a social and axiological priorities of people it is fundamental to recognize hierarchical orientation. However, making a precise portrait the idiosyncrasies of a culture, like the Colombian one of the axiological principles in this country even more (Ardila, 1993, 2011). Thisstudy has as its main objective difficult , Fernández, Páez & González (2005) describe to contribute with the topic of human values in Colombia, that Colombians presented a more independent self-image evaluating the adaptation of a theoretical model that could (m = 3.15) than an interdependent one (m = 2.94). be useful when analyzing what the values of its people are and their influence on the Colombian culture and the This set of non-consensual findings requires additional socioeconomic development of the country. Specifically, studies on the values of Colombians to be done. This has this investigation tries to gather evidence in respect to the been precisely the objective of this research work, which Functionalist theory of values (Gouveia, 2003; Gouveia, also tries to prove the suitability of the Functionalist theory Milfont, Fischer, & Santos, 2008; Gouveia et al., 2010), of values, which is described below. proving the psychometric parameters of its measurement, and the hypotheses stated of content and structure. It Functionalist theory of human values represents as well, an attempt to know which the valued priorities of the Colombian people are. Although more widely known theories of values exist (e.g., Inghehart, 1989; Rokeach, 1973; Schwartz, 1992), the Colombia was not included in some of the cross-cultural theory of Gouveia and his collaborators is presented as a research studies that have been conducted on the topic of values promising alternative (Gouveia, 2003; Gouveia, Fonsêca, at the individual level of analysis (for example in Schwartz Milfont, & Fischer, 2011). This has been demonstrated to & Boehnke, 2004; Schwartz & Sagie, 2000; Spini, 2003), be adequate in the diverse countries in which it has been even though it was considered in Hofstede’s cultural values applied, as Brazil (Gouveia, Milfont, Fischer, & Coelho, study (2001). In this case, for example, their scores indicated 2009), Spain (Gouveia et al., 2010), England (Guerra, a high avoidance of uncertainty, eluding risks and prioritizing 2008) and New Zealand (Boer, 2009). This is not a theory strict rules, and also low individualism, being a society which contrary to the others which consider the motivational attributes importance to one’s own group, emphasizing broad nature of human values (Inglehart, 1989; Schwartz, relations and the compliance with other people. 1992). It is essentially an integrating model, although a parsimonious one, which assumes four main assumptions In terms of individual values, Schultz & Zelezny (Gouveia, 2003; Gouveia et al., 2008). (1999) considered a sample of 14 Iberoamerican countries, among them Colombia (n = 149; an average age of 24, Human nature. It admits the benevolent or positive 80% women), observing that Colombians attributed more nature of human beings, assuming only positive values. 106 Revista Latinoamericana de Psicología Volumen 44 No 3 pp. 105-117 2012 ISSN 0120-0534 Human values of colombian people. Evidence for the functionalist theory of values Although some values possess a negative character for human values: (1) they guide actions (orientation type) certain individuals (e.g., power, religiosity), their essence is and they represent human needs (motivation type). In positive, being possible to integrate them into the values this way, functions of values are defined by this author of self-actualized persons (Maslow, 1954). as psychological aspects that values fulfill when guiding behavior and cognitively represent needs. Such functions Motivational basis. Some authors define values as are described in the following manner: transformations of human needs (Rokeach, 1973; Schwartz, 2011), but this process is not obvious and its consideration First function of the values: to guide human behavior. is avoided in the following definition. On the contrary, Three types of value orientation are assumed:personal , the most frequently accepted idea of values as cognitive central and social. Thepersonal types (e.g., true friendship, representations of human needs is assumed (Kluckhohn, a world of peace) and social (e.g., inner harmony, an exciting 1951; Maslow, 1954). life), identified also by other authors (Mueller & Wornhoff, 1990; Rokeach, 1973), shed light on the emphasis in society Terminal character. Classification of values into instrumental and the interpersonal