postmaterialistlike

Postmaterialistlike is an adjective used in social science to describe attitudes, values, or political movements that resemble postmaterialist values—prioritizing self-expression, quality of life, and non-material goals over concerns centered on economic or physical security. The term is not standardized in major dictionaries but appears in scholarly writing to indicate similarity to, rather than strict equivalence with, true postmaterialism.

Origin and measurement: The concept builds on Inglehart's theory of postmaterialism, which posits that in societies with rising existential security, younger generations shift from materialist concerns to postmaterialist ones. Postmaterialistlike describes beliefs aligned with this pattern but not necessarily meeting formal criteria for postmaterialism, due to measurement or contextual differences. Researchers often use survey proxies such as preferences for civil liberties, environmental protection, gender equality, and cultural tolerance, or refer to indicators from the World Values Survey’s postmaterialist indexing.

Application: The term is used when analyzing political ideologies, social movements, or consumer trends that emphasize non-material goals. It helps distinguish between traditional, materialist-oriented coalitions and newer, self-expression-oriented ones, while acknowledging that individuals may hold mixed or context-dependent values.

Critiques: Critics warn that postmaterialistlike can oversimplify value hierarchies, overlook socioeconomic diversity, and risk cross-cultural misinterpretation. Measurement validity is debated, as self-reported priorities can reflect survey design effects, social desirability, or situational factors rather than stable value systems.

See also: Postmaterialism, Inglehart, World Values Survey, self-expression values, value change.