由世界價值觀調查（World Values Survey）資料繪製出的世界文化地圖（Cultural Map of the World）中，每個國家的位置並非地理方位，而是以其人民的價值觀來標記。地圖上的兩個維度分別為：（縱向，下或上）傳統或世俗理性（Traditional/Secular-rational），以及（橫向，左或右）生存或自我表現（Survival/Self-expression）。
文化地圖（2005-2008年）與 文化地圖（1999-2004年）
「傳統或世俗理性價值觀反映出宗教在一個社會中的重要性。生存或自我表現價值觀則呈現出一個工業社會到後工業社會的轉型。幾乎所有的工業社會裡，價值觀已經從傳統移向世俗理性。但現代化是非線性的──當一個工業社會轉型為知識社會時，價值觀才會從生存移向自我表現。
接近傳統價值觀一端的社會強調親子關係的重要性、遵從權威、絕對標準、傳統的家庭觀念，排斥離婚、墮胎、安樂死和自殺，以及具有高度民族自尊心與民族主義觀。世俗理性價值觀的社會則相反。
自我表現價值觀高度重視環保、差異的容忍，並對參與政治和經濟決策的需求日益增長。同時也呈現出對於外團體（包括外國人、同性戀者）容忍度和性別平等態度的兩極分化。從生存到自我表現價值觀的轉變也反映出養育子女的價值觀的轉變，從強調勤奮工作轉變為教導孩子想像力和寬容心的重要性。如此一來個人生活品質的提昇也有利於營造寬容、信任以及政治溫和的氣氛。自我表現價值觀高的社會通常人與人之間也更互相信任。
如此而生信任與寬容的文化裡，人民相對地更重視個體自由和自我表現，也同時擁有行動主義者的政治傾向。這些正是政治文化文學中定義的民主之特質。」
原文作者：Ronald Inglehart 與 Chris Welzel
On the World Values Survey Cultural Map of the World, each country is positioned according to its people's values and not its geographical location.
"The World Values Surveys were designed to provide a comprehensive measurement of all major areas of human concern, from religion to politics to economic and social life and two dimensions dominate the picture: (1) Traditional/Secular-rational and (2) Survival/Self-expression values.
The Traditional/Secular-rational values dimension reflects the contrast between societies in which religion is very important and those in which it is not. The second major dimension of cross-cultural variation is linked with the transition from industrial society to post-industrial societies—which brings a polarization between Survival and Self-expression values.
Inglehart and Baker (2000) find evidence that orientations have shifted from Traditional toward Secular-rational values, in almost all industrial societies. But modernization, is not linear—when a society has completed industrialization and starts becoming a knowledge society, it moves in a new direction, from Survival values toward increasing emphasis on Self-expression values.
Societies near the traditional pole emphasize the importance of parent-child ties and deference to authority, along with absolute standards and traditional family values, and reject divorce, abortion, euthanasia, and suicide. These societies have high levels of national pride, and a nationalistic outlook. Societies with secular-rational values have the opposite preferences on all of these topics.
Self-expression values give high priority to environmental protection, tolerance of diversity and rising demands for participation in decision making in economic and political life. These values also reflect mass polarization over tolerance of outgroups, including foreigners, gays and lesbians and gender equality. The shift from survival values to self-expression values also includes a shift in child-rearing values, from emphasis on hard work toward emphasis on imagination and tolerance as important values to teach a child. And it goes with a rising sense of subjective well-being that is conducive to an atmosphere of tolerance, trust and political moderation. Finally, societies that rank high on self-expression values also tend to rank high on interpersonal trust.
This produces a culture of trust and tolerance, in which people place a relatively high value on individual freedom and self-expression, and have activist political orientations. These are precisely the attributes that the political culture literature defines as crucial to democracy."
Original article written by Ronald Inglehart & Chris Welzel
