Cross-cultural studies with the rokeach value survey: The flinders program of research on values

Abstract

This article reviews cross-cultural studies from the Flinders University research program on values that have involved use of the Rokeach Value Survey. These studies fall into two main classes: (a) comparisons of Australian value priorities with those of other countries, and (b) research into the value priorities of different ethnic groups within Australia as part of an interest in migrant assimilation. The Rokeach Value Survey is described and modifications to it are noted; analytic procedures based upon individual data and group data are discussed with examples; and questions of cross-cultural appropriateness and equivalence are addressed. The interpretation of value differences across cultures is discussed with specific reference to findings from student samples from Australia, Papua New Guinea, and China.