More different than similar: Values in political speeches of leaders from developed and developing countries

Abstract

With globalization, the understanding of different values and cultures has become vital. This study investigates differences and similarities in the use of values of political speeches from developed and developing countries. A content analysis was conducted on 48 political speeches of six leaders. Applying the list of Basic Human Values, we found that "benevolence," "universalism," "stimulation," "self-direction," and "achievement" were most present in all speeches. However, "universalism" and "benevolence" were most present in speeches from developed countries while "stimulation" and "self-direction" in speeches from developing countries. Speeches also differed in terms of tones attached to words expressing the values. This study finds that there are more differences than similarities in the use of values in speeches from developed and developing countries.