New Pew

This new Pew study (45,000 interviews in 47 countries) is an amazing resource for anyone wanting the latest top line update on the difference between national attitudes around the world. I am just wading through it, but here are some of the key findings:

• People broadly embrace key tenets of economic globalization
• Large majorities think international trade is benefiting their country and multinational corporations that dominate global commerce generally receive favourable ratings
• Enthusiasm for global trade has waned over the last five years in the West, especially in the United States
• In most countries, majorities think people are better off under capitalism, even though that means some may be rich and others poor
• Support for capitalism increased most in Latin American and Eastern European nations where satisfaction with income and personal progress have increased markedly over the past five years
• Few publics want economic growth at the expense of the environment. In 46 of 47 countries, majorities say the environment should be given priority, even if this means less growth and fewer jobs
• In nearly all countries, people worry about losing their traditional culture and national identities, and they feel their way of life should be protected against foreign influence
• There is a strong link between immigration fears and concerns about threats to a country’s culture and traditions
• North Americans are generally more welcoming to immigrants than Europeans. Among Western European publics, Swedes are the most likely to say immigration from key immigrant groups is a good thing for their country, while Italians and Germans express the most negative views
• In emerging countries large majorities vigorously endorse core democratic values
• The weakest endorsement of democracy is in Russia where a huge majority continue to say a strong leader, rather than democracy, can best solve the country’s problems
• In much of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, there is a strong consensus that belief in God is necessary for morality and good values
• Throughout much of Europe, however, majorities think morality is possible without faith
• Religiosity tends to be correlated with wealth – in the poorer nations, religion remains central to the lives of individuals, while secular perspectives are more common in richer nations
• Exceptions to this pattern are strongly held religious beliefs in the United States and the oil-rich kingdom of Kuwait
• Compared to much of the world¸ tolerant attitudes towards homosexuality prevail throughout Western Europe and much of the Americas
• The United States, Japan and Israel stand apart from other wealthy nations on this issue – in each, less than half of the publics say homosexuality should be accepted by society
• The world continues to turn to television for news about international and national issues except in a few African nations where radio is the primary source of information. Newspapers continue to lose readers and trail far behind television as a news source
• American internet use is markedly higher than in most advanced nations – save Sweden and South Korea

Full report here <<http://pewglobal.org/reports/pdf/258.pdf >>.

[tags] Pew Research Centre [/tags]