Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 1983 A Comparative Study of Value Orientations in American Society, Mexican Society, and High School Students Stanley A. Sliwiak Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Medicine and Health Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Sliwiak, Stanley A., "A Comparative Study of Value Orientations in American Society, Mexican Society, and High School Students" (1983). Dissertations. 2257. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/2257 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1983 Stanley A. Sliwiak A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF VALUE ORIENTATIONS IN .AMERICAN SOCIE1Y, MEXICAN SOCIE1Y AND HI Q-I SCHOOL STIJDENrS by Fr. Stanley A. Sliwiak A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Loyola University of Chicago in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy June 1983 ~ 1983, Fr. Stanley A. Sliwiak ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The writer wishes to express his sincere appreciation to his· advisors, Dr. Jack Kavanagh and Dr. John Wozniak, for their assistance, guidance and encouragement throughout the graduate program. He is also grateful to the members of his dissertation committee, Dr. Ronald Morgan for his patience, guidance and help, and Dr. Marcel Fredericks for his guidance in writing the dissertation. The writer is deeply indebted to the Principals, teachers and the students for their participation in the study. Sincere appreciation is extended to Fr. Donald Critchlow for his help with the research and preparation of research data. A special thanks is extended to James R. Christine for his help with the implementation of computer programs used in the data analysis. The Felician Sisters deserve a special recognition for their assistance with correction of my English. Gratitude is also extended to the Bishop Thomas J. Drury and the Corpus Christi Diocese, to all my teachers, friends and all those who assisted in any way with their help during my graduate study at Loyola University of Chicago. ii VITA The author, Fr. Stanley Andrew Sliwiak, is the son of Joseph. Sliwiak and Anna (Lubienska) Sliwiak. He was born November 2, 1940, in Falejowka, Poland.. His elementary education was obtained in Falejowka, and secondary education at the Queen Bona High School, Sanok, Poland, where he graduated in 1960. In September, 1960, he entered the Major Seminary of Wroclaw and in June 24, 1966, he graduated with a major in Apologetics and was ordained to priesthood. In September, 1967, he entered Pontificia Facultas Theologica Wratislaviae until 1970, and 1975-1977, and in June 16, 1976, he received Licentiatum in Theologia. In October, 1973, he entered Catholic University of Lublin, and in June 4, 1975, he received the Degree of Masters in Educational Psychology. In August, 1977, he came to the United States and he joined the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas. In August, 1980, he entered Loyola University of Chicago. While working on his doctor degree at the Loyola University of Chicago, he became, in October, 1982, an American Citizen. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ii VITA ..... iii LIST OF TABLES. vi LIST OF FIGURES ·. viii CONTENfS OF APPENDICES. ix 01apter I. INTRODUCTION ....... 1 Limitations of the Study .. 3 Organization of the Study . 3 I I . REVIEW OF 1HE LITERATURE. 5 Values. 5 Classification of Values .. 7 Prosocial Behavior .. 9 Adolescence . 13 Summary 21 I II . METIIOD. 23 Hypotheses. 23 Sample .. 23 Procedure .. 27 Instnnnentation 28 Design and Statistical Analysis . 30 Summary . 31 IV. RESULTS 33 Statistical Analysis of Research Data . 33 Hypothesis One ... 33 Hypothesis Two. 43 Hypothesis Three .........•. 55 Summary . 69 Content Analyzed and Value Orientations in American Society.......... 70 Major Value Orientation in American Society • 74 Achievement and Success . 79 Activity and Work . .•. 80 Efficiency and Practicality .... 81 iv Page Equality .... 82 Freedom . 83 Individualism . 83 Democracy ... 85 Nationalism . 85 Progress .......... 86 Morality and Humanitarianism 87 Summary . 88 Value Orientation in Mexican American Society . 89 Family Values . 96 Respect .. 98 Passivity .. 98 Friendship. 99 Machismo ... 100 Language. 101 Individuality . 101 Summary . 102 V. SUMMARY AND DISCUSSION. 104 Recommendations for the Additional Research . 109 BIBLIOGRAPI-N. 110 APPENDIX I .. 115 APPENDIX II 119 APPENDIX II I. 123 v LIST OF TABLES Table Page I. A Comparative Summary of Definitions of Value. 6 II. A Comparative Summary of Value Classifications 8 III. A Comparative Summary of Philosophical and Historical Roots of Adolescence. 15 IV. A Numerical Description of Subjects According to School and Sex . 24 V. A Numerical Description of Subjects According to Age. 25 VI. A Numerical Description of Subjects According to School and Ethnicity . 26 VII. A Summary of Crosstabulation of Age by Personal Scales with the Results of Chi-Square Tests. 34 VIII. A Summary of Crosstabulation of Age by Interpersonal Scales with the Results of Chi-Square Tests. 35 IX. Group Means and Standard Deviations of Personal and Interpersonal Scales Defined by Age. 39 X. A Summary of Univariate F-Ratios of Age with Personal and Interpersonal Scales .... 40 XI. Standard Canonical Discriminant Function Coefficients of Age .......... 41 XII. A Summary of Canonical Discriminant Functions of Age. 42 XIII. A Summary of Crosstabulation of Sex by Personal Scales with the Results of Chi-Square Tests. 47 XIV. A Summary of Crosstabulation of Sex by Interper- sonal Scales with the Results of Chi-Square Tests. 48 XV. Group Means and Standard Deviations of Personal and Interpersonal Scales Defined by Sex. 51 XVI. A ~ummary of Univariate F-Ratios of Sex with Personal and Interpersonal Scales .... 52 XVII. Standard Canonical Discriminant Function Coefficients of Sex. 53 vi Table Page XVIII. A Summary of Canonical Discriminant Frmctions of Sex. 54 XIX. A Summary of Crosstabulation of Ethnicity by Per- sonal Scales with the Results of Chi-Square Tests. 59 XX. A Summary of Crosstabulation of Ethnicity by Interpersonal Scales with the Results of Chi- Square Tests. 60 XXI. Group Means and Standard Deviations of Personal and Interpersonal Scales Defined by Ethnicity. 62 XXII. A Summary of Univariate F-Ratios of Ethnicity with Personal and Interpersonal Scales. 63 XXIII. Standardized Canonical Discriminant Frmction Coefficients of Ethnicity. • . 64 XXIV. A Summary of Canonical Discriminant Frmctions of Ethnici ty. 65 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page I. Group Means of Personal Scales Defined by .Age. 44 II. Group Means of Interpersonal Scales Defined by Age . 45 III. Group Means of Personal Scales Defined by Sex. 56 IV. Group Means bf Interpersonal Scales Defined by Sex . 57 V. Group Means of Personal Scales Defined by Etlmici ty. • . 67 VI. Group Means of Interpersonal Scales Defined by Etlmici ty. 68 viii CONTENTS OF APPENDICES Page APPENDIX I Survey of Personal Values .... 116 APPENDIX II Survey of Interpersonal Values. 120 APPENDIX III Socioeconomic Questionnaire. 124 ix rnAPTER I IN1RODUCTION There are many things that are common to all people regardless of race, culture, nationality, or religion. Everywhere people appear to possess and to work for things tha~ have value to them. This characteristic is very important because what people value, desire and work for shape a person's style of life and has great impact on the formation of personality. L. Von Bertalanffy (1959) states: A framework of symbolic values, is not a mere plaything for the human animal or luxury of the intelligentsia, it is, the very backbone of society and among many other things, an important psychohygenic factor (p. 73). He goes on to call for establishing of new values, or for reinstating old va,lues. Erich Fromm (1959) sets the roots of values in the very condition of human existence. Our knowledge of these conditions (i.e. of the human situation) leads to establishing values which have objective validity and this validity exists only with regard to the existence of man. Outside man there are no values. Following the reasoning of the L. Von Bertalanffy on the great importance of values for each individual we can find many acceptable arguments to prove it from a philosophical and psychological point of - view. But is it so in the daily life of man? Perhaps it would be better to ask: do people really stand for 1 2 truth, beauty, love, or as A. Maslow calls them, B-values? If people do hold such values, then, why do we frequently find people turning to drugs, alcohol, and serious crime in their frustration? Could it be that these things are values too? It may be said· that people are searching for the best in life and this is especially characteristic among young people. There can be little if any doubt that the youth of today are looking for the best in lj_fe. At this point it is appropriate to question what are youth look­ ing for, what has value to them and what is worthy of their work and sacrifice? What is a value? There are numerous definitions of value and these various definitions point out important factors which underlie our way of approach to the value problem. Bengtson