Gerações ou ciclos de vida? Analisando o efeito da idade sobre valores pós-materialistas no Brasil

Abstract

The rise of a new democratic wave in several countries and the subsequent fall and reversal of some experiences have encouraged various research projects seeking to understand how these regimes are born and maintained. In the field of political culture, the focus has turned to the distribution of values and behaviors. Under this approach, Ronald Inglehart made importante contributions by revisiting the modernization theory and creating the concept of postmaterialism. In previous research, I explored this concept in Brazil, and the results pointed to a greater tendency for adherence among young people. The central objective of this study is to understand how the variable of age influences the formation of postmaterialist values, considering its different analytical dimensions. To this end, we use the World Values Survey database and the APC (Age, Period and Cohort effects) approach, which allows for a more robust understanding of the effects of age, period, and cohort on the values emphasized by different generations. The results suggest that the Brazilian case partially deviates from the classic model proposed by Inglehart. In a context of persistent inequality and unstable material security, other mechanisms (education and interest in politics) appear to play a central role in the formation of postmaterialist values, contributing to the debate on value change in the so considered peripheral democracies.