Values – Politics – Religion: The European Values Study: In-depth Analysis – Interdisciplinary Perspectives – Future Prospects (Philosophy and Politics - Critical Explorations, 26)

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. Country Codes and Clusters Contents List of Figures List of Tables Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 About This Study 1.2 Timeliness and Relevance 1.3 The European Values Study 1.4 Description of the Volume 1.4.1 Concepts 1.4.2 Empirical Research Questions 1.4.3 Interdisciplinary and Explorative Character 1.4.4 Structure 1.4.5 Research Process 1.4.6 Goals and Target Groups 1.5 Summaries References Part I: Basic Research Chapter 2: Values: A Contested Concept. Problem Outline and Interdisciplinary Approaches 2.1 Introduction: Objectives and Structure 2.2 The Concept of Values in the Context of Our Volume 2.3 Thematical Problem Outline 2.3.1 The Relevance of Empirical Values Research 2.3.2 The Normative Question: Ethical and Unethical Values? 2.3.3 The Question of Universal Values 2.3.4 European Values Genesis Content Values and Their Political Functions Value Conflicts The Conceptual Chaos: Problem or Opportunity? Summary 2.3.5 Values and Religion Relationship Between Religion and Values Religion as an Identity Marker Values as the New Religion? 2.4 Values: Interdisciplinary Approaches and Academic Contributions 2.4.1 The Genesis of the Concept of Values Economic Origins The Nineteenth Century Twentieth and Twenty-First Century 2.4.2 Academic Approaches Overview Sociological Approaches Philosophical and Ethical Approaches Values as a ‘Formal Indicator’ (‘Formalanzeige’)? Theological Approaches and ‘Christian Values’ 2.5 Conclusion References Chapter 3: A Critical History of the Use of ‘European Values’ 3.1 A Critical Approach 3.2 The Conservative and Christian Cold War Origins of European Values 3.3 From a European Identity to a ‘Social Europe’ (1970s to Late 1990s) 3.4 The Rise of European Values (From the Late 1990s to the Present) 3.5 The Return of the Past: A Clash Between European Values and Their Origins 3.6 Contesting Values References Chapter 4: Transformations in the Religious and Moral Landscape in Europe? 4.1 Introduction 4.2 The Link Between Religion and Morality 4.3 Religion as a Source of End-of-Life Morality 4.4 Declining Impact and Shifting Moral Sources? 4.5 What the Data Reveal 4.6 Path Dependency 4.6.1 The Nordic Countries 4.6.2 Western Europe 4.6.3 Southern Europe 4.6.4 Eastern Europe (Ex-Communist Countries) 4.6.5 Ex-Soviet Union 4.7 Conclusion and Discussion References Part II: In-Depth Analysis Chapter 5: Political Values and Religion: A Comparison Between Western and Eastern Europe 5.1 Introduction – Political Values and Political Culture as the Nucleus of Stable Democracies 5.2 Political Culture and Understanding of Democracy – Theories and Conceptions 5.2.1 Understanding of Democracy 5.2.2 Theory of Political Culture Research 5.2.3 Socialisation of Political and Social Values 5.2.4 Hypotheses About the Formation of Democratic Political Values and Attitudes 5.3 Spread of Democratic Political Culture in Europe 5.3.1 Distrust in Political Elites, and Occasionally a Yearning for Leaders 5.3.2 Diverging Values – Diverging Understandings of Democracy? 5.3.3 Core Values, Frustration, Legitimacy, and Political Trust? 5.3.4 Interim Conclusion – The Return of Different Political Values 5.4 ... and Religion? 5.4.1 Secularisation, Pluralisation, and Religious Revitalisation? 5.4.2 Religious and Political Values – Signs of Covariance? 5.4.3 Interim Conclusion – More Secularisation, More Religious Pluralisation, More Prejudice? 5.5 Conclusion – Democracy and Regression of Religion in Eastern Europe? Appendix References Chapter 6: Religion, Values and Politics: The Effect of Religiosity on Attitudes Towards Immigrants and Muslims 6.1 Purpose, Objectives, and Context 6.2 Theoretical Framework 6.2.1 The Development of Religion in Europe from the Perspectives of Theories of the Sociology of Religion 6.2.2 Religion, Politics, and Values 6.3 Effect of Religiosity on Attitudes Towards Immigrants and Muslims 6.3.1 The Effect of Religious Self-Assessment and Sociodemographic Variables on the Rejection of Immigrants and Muslims 6.3.2 The Effect of Political Self-Positioning on the Rejection of Immigrants and Muslims 6.3.3 A Socioreligious Typology (Cluster Analysis) 6.3.4 Attitudes Towards Immigrants and Muslims Based on the Socioreligious Typology 6.4 Summary References Chapter 7: Solidarity: A European Value? 7.1 Introduction – Is Solidarity in Europe at Risk? 7.2 The Concept of Solidarity 7.2.1 Socio-structural Foundations for Individual-Level Solidarity 7.2.2 Solidarity and Group Identification 7.2.3 Forms and Recipients of Solidarity 7.2.4 Short- and Long-Term Trajectories in Solidarity Levels 7.3 Methodological Approach of the Chapter 7.4 Data and Measures 7.4.1 Data Availability 7.4.2 Measuring Solidarity 7.4.3 Sharpening Our Measure of Solidarity 7.5 Solidarity and Geographical Identification 7.6 Country and Time Comparisons of Solidarity Levels 7.7 Exploring the Relation of External Factors to Societal Solidarity Levels 7.8 Discussion and Conclusion 7.8.1 Limitations of Our Study 7.8.2 A Summary and Some Possible Interpretations 7.8.3 Conclusion Appendix (Figs. 7.4 and 7.5) References Chapter 8: The Invisibles: Religious and Political Values Among Different Social Classes 8.1 Sociology of Social Classes, the Poor, and Underprivileged 8.2 The Values of the Disadvantaged: Assumptions and Methodology 8.3 Who Are the ‘Precarious’? 8.4 Precariousness and Religious Attitudes 8.4.1 Global Religiosity According to Social Position 8.4.2 Precarious People Believe a Little More in God 8.4.3 Precarious People Believe More in a Future Beyond This World 8.4.4 Precarious People Are a Little More Often Followers of a Religion and a Little More Assiduous in the Practice of Their Religion 8.5 Precariousness and Political Attitudes 8.5.1 More Individualistic But Less Individualised Precariousness 8.5.2 Low Politicisation Level of Precarious People 8.5.3 Strong Political Discontent of the Precarious, Low Political Participation 8.5.4 Low Trust in Others and in Institutions 8.5.5 Not Very Sensitive to the Left–Right Divide and More Often to the Right 8.5.6 Xenophobia and Strong Nationalism Among Vulnerable Populations 8.5.7 A Very Relative Attachment to Democratic Values 8.5.8 Precarious People Who Are a Little More Social and Less in Favour of Economic Liberalism 8.5.9 Intolerance of Deviance: Small Differences by Social Position 8.5.10 How Have the Political Values of the Precarious Evolved Over the Last 40 Years? 8.6 Summary References Part III: Interdisciplinary Perspectives Chapter 9: Ethical and Theological Approaches to the Value Discourses in Europe 9.1 The Rise and Fall of the Concept of Value in Philosophy and Ethics – A Historical Problem Outline 9.2 The Political Context of the European Value Discourse 9.3 The European Union as an ‘Imagined Community’ 9.4 Historical and Political Contextualisation in European Integration After 1945 9.4.1 Values in the Context of the Far-Reaching Integration Plans 1948–1954 9.4.2 The Phase of Economic Integration and the Gradual Recognition of a Value Vacuum 9.4.3 Reunified Europe’s New Interest in Values 9.5 Analysis: European Community of Values 9.6 Universal Values? An Outlook References Chapter 10: Values and Economy: How Companies Deal with Values 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Why Values Are Relevant for Business 10.2.1 Thoughts on the Relation of Economy and Society and the Role of Values 10.2.2 The Concept of Values in Economics 10.2.3 Area of Tension: Shareholder Value Versus Stakeholder Value 10.2.4 The Normative Stakeholder View 10.2.5 The Relevance of an Ethical Foundation for Company Values 10.2.6 Drivers and Influencing Factors for the Value Debate in the Corporate Context 10.2.7 Religion as Source for Company Values? 10.3 The Challenge of Dealing with Values 10.3.1 The Benefits of Values for Corporations 10.3.2 Value Functions in Companies 10.3.3 Which Corporate Values? 10.3.4 Value Management 10.3.5 Value Communication 10.3.6 A Question of Handling: Categorising Company Values 10.3.7 Challenges for Normative Value Management 10.3.8 The Categorical Imperative as an Ethical Principle Against Instrumentalisation and as a Justification for Human Rights 10.4 Human Rights as Universal Normative Values for the Economy 10.4.1 What Are Human Rights? 10.4.2 Human Rights as a Catalogue of Values 10.4.3 Relevance for the Economy: Why Should Companies Deal with Human Rights? 10.4.4 Normative Frameworks Addressing Companies to Respect Human Rights and Their Function 10.4.5 Anchoring European Values in the Economic and Trade Policies 10.4.6 Current Developments in Europe and Legislative Initiatives 10.5 Analysis and Conclusion 10.5.1 Challenges for Companies and Politics 10.5.2 Future Research Questions References Chapter 11: Values and Laws 11.1 Missing Links 11.2 Legal Consciousness, Knowledge, and Practice 11.3 Sources of Law 11.4 Values Enshrined and Values Contested 11.5 Our Laws and Their Values 11.6 Outlook References Part IV: Future Prospects Chapter 12: Perceptions of Social Challenges in Europe. Disentangling the Effects of Context, Social Structure, Religion, Values and Political Attitudes to Identify Potential Drivers of Societal Change 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Towards an Empirically Grounded Typology of a Diversified Europe 12.3 Central Societal Challenges and Temporal Dynamics – A Europe-Wide Perspective 12.4 Religiosity, Basic Values, and Political and Social Attitudes – Efforts to Untie the Gordian Knot of Potential Drivers of Solidarity 12.5 Detecting the Main Individual Dynamics to Perceptions of Social Challenges in the EU – Region-Specific Sequential Regression Models 12.5.1 The Drivers of Individual Needs for Redistribution 12.5.2 The Drivers of Approving Cultural Diversity 12.5.3 The Drivers of Environmental Concerns 12.5.4 Empirical Results on the Main Drivers Explaining Perception of Societal Challenges 12.6 Summarising the Results: Future Challenges in the EU and Drivers of Societal Change Appendix References Chapter 13: Values Education, Politics and Religion 13.1 Specification of the Question 13.2 Conceptual Clarifications 13.3 The Specificity of Christian Discourses on Values 13.4 Values in Education and Upbringing. Setting the Course 13.5 Practical Communication. Contours of Religious Values Education 13.6 Compassion: A Role Model for Values Education in Late Modern Society 13.7 Religious Values Education in Public Religious Education 13.8 Concretisation 13.9 Conclusion and Perspectives References Chapter 14: Conclusions, Consequences, Challenges 14.1 Introduction 14.2 The Ambivalent Power of Values in Politics: The Crisis of Liberal Democracy 14.2.1 The EU Liberal Project: A Real Experience? 14.2.2 The European Union as a Subsidiary Institution: A Real Experience? 14.2.3 Globalism Versus Tribalism: Struggle Between Universal and Particular Values? 14.2.4 Division Between Western and Eastern Europe? 14.3 The Role of Religion: Problem or Component? 14.3.1 Religion Matters – But Which One? 14.3.2 Religion: A Resource for Promoting Values 14.3.3 Religion as a Powerful Amplifier of Value Cleavages 14.3.4 The Role of Religious Institutions and Leaders 14.4 Values, Education, and Religion 14.4.1 Values Education as a Public, Social, and Political Concern 14.4.2 Religion in Value Formation 14.4.3 Strengthening Universal Solidarity in Values Education 14.5 Challenges of Interdisciplinary Values Research 14.5.1 Concepts 14.5.2 The Paradigm of Secularisation 14.5.3 Practice of Values Research: Science Communication References Country Index General Index