This open access book analyses the international data of the European Values Study (EVS 1990 - 2017), with a focus on the impact of religious on political values from empirical as well as theoretical perspectives, i.e. sociology, political and cultural studies, philosophy, ethics, theology and the law. It interprets results from interdisciplinary perspectives, including the viewpoints of social ethics, sociology and cultural studies, law and practical theology. In the political and public as well as media debates of the European Union, the recourse to (above all "European" and also "Christian") values has played a central and controversial role in the field of politics and religion for several decades. This collection is a contribution to a qualified discourse on values in Europe by providing empirical, hermeneutical and ethical criteria for a responsible use of the concept of values. In addition to a comparison of political value systems in Western and Eastern Europe and the possible role of religion in this context, the book also deals with topics such as, f.i., solidarity, economics and values, value formation, and law and values. Additionally, specific population groups such as the socio-culturally marginalized strata are examined more closely. Besides current scientific analyses and interpretations of interest to researchers from various disciplines, this book also offers valuable impulses and suggestions for various multipliers in political, civil society and religious organisations, as well as a sound overview for graduate students.

This book provides insights in and explanations of the varieties and similarities in values in Europe in a number of life spheres at the turn of the millennium.

The Atlas presents European ideas and beliefs in the form graphs, charts and maps. Values such as democracy, freedom, equality, human dignity and solidarity are held by almost all Europeans, but the survey points to differing views about marriage, religion, work and such topics as euthanasia, happiness, sexuality and death. This unique Atlas covers all European nations from Iceland to Turkey, from Portugal to the Ukraine. It graphically illustrates the rich diversity that is Europe.

Declining religiosity, waning class values, rising postmaterialism, along with Green values, postmodernism, feminism, are indicative of profound and widespread change in the values of citizens. This volume tracks these changes and analyses their impact on political efficacy, interest, activity, trust, voting, and involvement in new social movements.

Written by the team carrying out the EVS surveys in France, this book contrasts with the popular belief that values are converging. It demonstrates that increasingly individualized value systems do not necessarily mirror a more individualistic society.

This book investigates and compares the values and dynamics of value changes in important life domains of the Europeans from an economic, political, social, and religious-moral point of view and explores the relationships between value orientations and societies' structural characteristics.

The European Values Study is a large-scale, cross-national, and longitudinal survey research program on basic human values, initiated by the European Value Systems Study Group (EVSSG) in the late 1970s, at that time an informal grouping of academics. Now, it is carried on in the setting of a foundation, using the (abbreviated) name of the group European Values Study (EVS). The EVSSG aimed at designing and conducting a major empirical study of the moral and social values underlying European social and political institutions and governing conduct. A rich academic literature has now been created around the original survey, and numerous other works have made use of the findings.

Authoritarian populist parties have advanced in many countries, and entered government in states as diverse as Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland. Even small parties can still shift the policy agenda, as demonstrated by UKIP's role in catalyzing Brexit. Drawing on new evidence, this book advances a general theory why the silent revolution in values triggered a backlash fuelling support for authoritarian-populist parties and leaders in the US and Europe. The conclusion highlights the dangers of this development and what could be done to mitigate the risks to liberal democracy.

Contrary to what is suggested in media and popular discourses, Europe is neither a monolithic entity nor simply a collection of nation states. It is, rather, a union of millions of individuals who differ from one another in a variety of ways while also sharing many characteristics associated with their ethnic, social, political, economic, religious or national characteristics. This book explores differences and similarities that exist in attitudes, beliefs and opinions on a range of issues across Europe. Drawing on the extensive data of the European Social Survey, it presents insightful analyses of social attitudes, organised around the themes of religious identity, political identity, family identity and social identity, together with a section on methodological issues. A collection of rigorously analysed studies on national, comparative and pan-European levels, Values and Identities in Europe offers insight into the heart and soul of Europe at a time of unprecedented change. As such, it will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in social attitudes, social change in Europe, demographics and survey methods.

Examines social and cultural issues in Western Europe and provides research and analysis on a wide range of values including those which underpin differences in work, family, religion and politics. The countries represented include Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Denmark.