Shared and Divergent Value Structures in Southeast Asia: Evidence From the World Values Survey

Bañez, John Erwin S.

Shared and Divergent Value Structures in Southeast Asia: Evidence From the World Values Survey

James Alexander Gordon on 11th September 2025

Author Information

John Erwin S. Bañez, University of the Philippines Diliman, Philippines

Abstract

This study examines the latent value dimensions underlying moral, political, and social attitudes in Southeast Asia using data from the Wave 7 of the World Values Survey. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted separately for Southeast Asia as a whole and for individual countries (Philippines, Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Indonesia) to identify consistent and divergent patterns in value orientations. Despite variation in specific item loadings across contexts, three relatively robust factors emerged: (1) Ethics/Moral Liberalism/Conservative Boundaries, capturing attitudes toward sexuality, family, and life-related issues (e.g., homosexuality, divorce, abortion, euthanasia); (2) Democratic Values, Egalitarianism, encompassing beliefs in elections, civil rights, gender equality, and state responsibility for redistribution; and (3) Rule breaking/Corruption Tolerance/Integrity, reflecting permissiveness toward dishonest practices such as bribery, cheating on taxes, and misusing benefits. In some countries, additional dimensions surfaced, such as Science–Democracy Optimism (Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand) or Subjective Wellbeing and Life Control (Myanmar, Thailand). The regional (SEA) results broadly align with the core factors but smooth over country-specific distinctions, underscoring the importance of examining both aggregate and national-level structures. Overall, the findings reveal both a shared regional moral-political architecture and culturally specific emphases, offering insights into how Southeast Asian societies negotiate issues of morality, governance, corruption, and the role of science and democracy in everyday life.