The Finnish Values and Everyday Life data series is a decades-long time series examining changes in Finnish values. The first data in the series were collected for the dissertation of Martti Puohiniemi in 1990-1995. The series is based on Shalom H. Schwartz's value theory, and the Schwartz Value Survey (SVS) was used to measure values.
In addition to measuring values, the surveys have charted varying topical themes, such as Finnish consumer behaviour, media use, hobbies, leisure time, work motivation, attitudes towards advertising, eating habits, environmental issues, progress of digitalisation, internationalism, and the use of entertainment electronics, internet, and mobile phones. The comprehensive surveys enable the examination of connections between Finnish values and social trends, everyday phenomena, and consumer behaviour. Between 1999 and 2005, the research project had seven client companies: Finnish Road Safety Council, Local Government Pensions Institution, Sanoma Media Finland, Sinebrychoff, Finnish Red Cross, Veho, and Finnish Broadcasting Company. The studies have been funded by, among others, the Academy of Finland, Kone Foundation, and Limor Oy. Most of the data were collected by TNS Gallup (currently Kantar TNS). The data have been archived at FSD from the 1991 study onwards.
The survey charted Finnish values and attitudes.
The respondents' values were examined with the 56-item Schwarz Value Survey (SVS). The SVS includes two lists of value items containing life-guiding principles and life-guiding practices. The first contains items that describe potentially desirable end-states in noun form and the second includes items that describe potentially desirable ways of acting in adjective form. The respondents rate the importance of each value item. The data were collected as part of the RISC Monitor survey.
Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, marital status, level of education, job title, economic activity and occupational status, type of municipal of residence, household size, number of children aged under 18 living in the household, income of the household, and job title and level of education of the second parent/guardian of the children.
The data were collected as part of the RISC Monitor survey using the starting point method. The respondents were first met face-to-face and the questionnaire was given to them to fill in independently. The interviewer collected the completed questionnaires. 1,845 eligible responses were received. The data collection was conducted by Gallup Finland (98 %) and Haastattelukeskus (2 %).