Tekijät

• World Values Study Group
• Church Research Institute
• Gallup Finland

Asiasanat

abortion, church, environmental degradation, ethics, families, happiness, immigration, labour and employment, living conditions, marriage, moral values, political attitudes, poverty, prejudice, religious communities, satisfaction, unemployment, upbringing, values, voluntary work

Sisällön kuvaus

World Values Survey 2000: Finnish Data studies the respondents' values, attitudes and situation in life. Respondents evaluated the importance of various domains of life (e.g. family, work, leisure). They were asked whether they belong to any voluntary organisations, participate in these organisations' activities or in any other voluntary work. They were asked about discussing politics with their friends or their willingness to contribute financially to the diminishing of environmental pollution. Other questions queried how often they spend time with e.g. friends and colleagues and examined prejudices by asking which groups they would not want as neighbours (e.g. people of different race, left-wing or right-wing extremists, large families). General confidence in other people was studied. A range of questions surveyed happiness, satisfaction with life and whether respondents felt they had free choice and control over their lives. Respondents were asked to name the two most significant factors (of the four given) contributing to poverty.

Some topics pertained to work. Respondents were asked which aspects of work were important (e.g. colleagues, the pay). Other questions queried general satisfaction with work, possibilities for own decision-making and attitude towards working on the whole. Respondents were asked whether it is justifiable to favour Finns or men for employees when work is scarce.

A range of questions pertained to Evangelical Lutheran church, Finnish religious behaviour, religious beliefs, membership in religious communities and attitudes towards them. The views on factors contributing to successful marriages and the importance of children were surveyed, likewise the attitudes towards working mothers, child-rearing and abortion. The level of citizen participation was examined by asking whether respondents had ever participated, might participate or would never participate in certain types of legal or illegal activities to influence decision-making. Political inclinations were surveyed by asking respondents to place themselves on the left-right axis. Respondents gave their opinion about the responsibilities of the individual vs. the responsibilities of the government, the obligation of the unemployed to accept work, competition, state control over business and income disparity. Respondents were asked to evaluate the most important aims of Finnish society and the potential changes in Finnish values and life. Confidence in civil and governmental institutions and the opinions of Finland's political development and different political systems were examined. Respondents were asked to evaluate the acceptability and frequency of certain criminal, dishonest, dubious or controversial acts. The views on immigration, the degree of concern over the living conditions of certain people and the willingness to improve them were surveyed.

Background variables included sex, year of birth, marital status, number of children, level of education, social status, whether the respondent lives with parents or not, duration of potential unemployment, region of residence, and number of inhabitants in the municipality of residence. World Values Survey 2000: Finnish Data is part of the international World Values Survey and European Values Study.