Self-Expression Values

The aspect of culture has already gained a spotlight in psychology. The existence of elements such as collectivism and individualism acts a significant role in expressing other concepts such as culture embeddedness, autonomy values, secular, traditional and self-expression values (Inglehart and Oyserman, 6). Individualism and autonomy are based on a civic or social structure that allows the projection of personal freedom, individual choices like religion affiliation, and self-actualization. Therefore, autonomy is the focus of a particular individual as the major unit of analysis while collectivism, on the other hand, is the focus of a particular group as the prime unit of analysis.
Contrarily, people have a tendency of selecting things that are socially accepted as their prime priority. Therefore, individualism and collectivism are influenced by cross-cultural variation. This means that autonomy or self-expression values are entirely widespread in an intergenerational transformation that occurs at a huge economic growth when vital constraints of personal decisions are reduced (Inglehart and Oyserman, 9). In short, economy prosperity acts as the crucial factor that broadens individual choices while limiting cultural constraints at some time. Material scarcity always pressures people, and this makes them emancipated into strict cultural constraints that limit their decision capabilities.
Consequently, cultural psychology concepts incorporate two varying visions that are either malleable or static in defining a particular culture.

In the static model, culture is evaluated in historical parameters that are predetermined by a set of group differences based on philosophical, historical, linguistic and religious variations (Inglehart and Oyserman, 12). On the other hand, malleable model evaluates the culture through utilizing particular sets of self-value that exist between varying groups. In many occasions, the malleability nature of community influences socioeconomic transformation that causes modern systems of operation like renewed political organizations such as enhanced democracy and philosophical-religious orientation. In a survey done to evaluate world values, it was established that European self-expression values are currently high compared to their previous cultural survival value between the years 1980 to 2000 (Inglehart and Oyserman, 19). This means that European cross-interactions have enabled a generational shift aimed at huge acceptance of self-expression values and continual rejection of cultural survival values has a continent with rapid economic growth.
Furthermore, processes of human development and societal modernization influence the growth of self-expression values, especially in post-industrial communities. This is, due to, increased level of trust, political activism, tolerance, and demand for political or individual freedom. Self-expression principles are likely to rise within the society, and this shapes the social state that will allow democratic institutions to flourish and spread (Harvard Kennedy School, 15). Today, the information technology sector has overpowered the industrial revolution era, and this sector has offered a huge platform for increased emphasis on many individual to exercise self-expression values. This also has increased a platform for mass demands for freedom and democracy (Harvard Kennedy School, 17).
More ever, self-expression values are also tapped to social capital. The concept of civil engagement enables the society to flourish through relevant social ties, society well-being, shared norms and economic growth. This is facilitated with numerous social associations in fields such as sports, cooperatives, agriculture, humanitarian group and businesses people who aim at fostering interpersonal trust, sustainable employment practices, and democratic governance. According to popular sociologist like Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx and Max Weber, the aspect of modernization concepts accounts to the system of political behavior, and political arrangement in the era of decolonization (Harvard Kennedy School, 11).
Besides, traditional communities were noted through subsistence livelihoods that were primarily based on fishing, farming, unskilled tasked and extraction activities. They also faced the issues of endemic insecurity, basic education, minimum standard of living, and restricted geographic or social mobility. In agrarian communities, individuals were firmly rooted in local society through tie of belonging and blood (Harvard Kennedy School, 22). This incorporates family, kinship, religion, and ethnicity that were controlled by a traditional system of political authority. However, the modernization theories expressed how agrarian-based society transformed into an industrial society that enables people to have access to tertiary education, enhanced geographical mobility, and economic prosperity. These changes enabled the establishment of the foundation for democratic political systems.
Additionally, the service sector enabled many people to be employed as lawyers, technologists, bankers, scientists, financial analysts and teachers. These services enabled increased literacy levels, specialized workforce, population migration, rising living conditions for entire society. Additionally, increased leisure time facilitated technological and scientific innovation that shifted power from the national state to the local and global business liberals. This also influenced the growth of non-profit social protection organizations that assist various people to develop their self-expression values (Gustavsson, 18). Currently, there is rising equality of sex roles within family, workforce, and homes due to such non-profit firms.
Simultaneously, the theories of post-materialism and value change were established to explain the turbulent political transformation and the growth of social movements that was experienced in the year 1960s in both European nations and the United States (Gustavsson, 22). The shift of historical traditions changed into more self-expression values that guaranteed long-term human development in economic, social resources, and cognitive abilities. Even though issues of Islamic heritage that affects the Middle East, enduring the legacy of negative attitude towards the state in the post-Soviet Central Europe, and egalitarian social norms experienced in Scandinavia are the remaining problems that affect self-expression values in our modern world (Gustavsson, 23). Various issues trouble many liberals’ consciences. For instance, it is noted that belief is influencing economic and social conditions of a particular place. However, people believed that freedom gained by the minority is always obtained through exploiting the vast majority.
In the past, individual liberty was feared that it would bring the end of humanity and that is why freedom was earned through sacrifice and bloodshed. For example, the conception tolerance and diversity began fifty years ago past world wars. More ever, various European nations embraced liberal values both at personal and political level (Gustavsson, 5). It has been established that the younger generation in various European nations adopted freedom principles like authenticity, self-expression, and autonomy without any questions. Furthermore, with rising level of migration to varying Western nations, these young people become more autonomy-oriented generation than ever (Gustavsson, 10). This is because they are extensively exposed to varying religious and cultural minorities who have a different ideology to their own. This influences them to generate the impulse that will prevent them from imposing their own liberal lifestyle to these minorities’ groups. Even though some countries like France have burn conspicuous religious signs, or symbol on a head scarf or clothes in any public school so that diversity can be influenced (Gustavsson, 12). However, this is not a violation of minorities’ religious right. The ideal liberty is founded on the basis of enlightenment of ideas that are fostered by critical self-reflection and liberation by reason.
In autonomy society, individuals are labeled autonomous when they express and cultivate their own feelings, preferences, abilities, and ideas that they have obtained in their unique ways. Alternatively, intellectual autonomy influence people to follow their own intellectual direction and ideas independently. Self-expression values are facilitated with significant principles like curiosity, broadmindedness, and creativity. All in all, effective autonomy can influence a particular person to seek effectively positive experience on their own. By doing this, they are able to experience exciting life, pleasure, and varied lifestyle. Democracy is linked entirely to self-expression values. This is showcased in countries like Vietnam, China and Iran that run through cultural values instead of self-expression values (Harvard Kennedy School, 20). However, in nations like Portugal, India, and Hungary the democracy level is high since pro-democratic elites had self-expression ideologies that transformed these nations.
More ever, the global has switched its focus to economic development that allows self-expression values and human decision. The processes of human development and societal modernization influence the growth of self-expression values especially in post-industrial communities. This is due to increased level trust, political activism, tolerance, and demand for political and individual freedom.
In conclusion, autonomy influences people to follow their own intellectual direction and ideas independently. Finally, the end of industrialization generated the service industry. In the services sector, it enabled increased literacy levels, specialized workforce, population migration, rising living conditions. Additionally, increased leisure time facilitated technological and scientific innovation that shifted power from the national state to the local and global business liberals. This is influenced the growth of non-profit social protection organizations that assisted people to develop their self-expression values. Geographical migration also influences individual autonomy through making a person to be tolerances to other culture.
Work Cited
Gustavsson Gina. Dangerous Liberties: Isaiah Berlin`s Critique of positive Liberty Revisited. SWEPSA Website, 2010.http://pol.gu.se/digitalAssets/1315/1315840_dangerous-liberties.gina-gustavsson.pdf
Harvard Kennedy School. Democratic Deficits: Rising Aspiration? Harvard University Website, 2010.https://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Acrobat/CriticalCitizensRevisited/Chapter%207.pdf
Inglehart Ronald and Oyserman Daphna. Individualism, Autonomy and Self-expression: The Human Development Syndrome. University of Michigan Website, 2004.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/89924/inglehart__oyserman__2004.pdf?sequence=1