European Values Systems Study Group (EVSSG) carried out the first EVS surveys in several Western European countries in 1981. The World Values Surveys series was started when the original EVS study evoked such interest that it was replicated in 14 additional countries. EVS surveys have been carried out in four waves: 1981, 1990, 1999 and 2008. WVS data have been collected in five waves: 1981-1984, 1989-1993, 1994-1999, 1999-2004, and 2005-2008.
Structurally, the international surveys of the World Values Survey (WVS) series resemble the Eurobarometers and the ISSP surveys. Citizen activities, attitudes, and basic values in different countries are studied with integrated, structured surveys.
European Values Study group is responsible for the EVS data collection. The planning of the WVS, and the coordination and documentation of the aggregated four-wave data file has been carried out by the World Values Survey network, under the direction of Professor Ronald Inglehart.
Finland has participated in WVS from the very beginning with materials collected by Gallup Finland (TNS Gallup Ltd). WVS/EVS data are usually collected with face-to-face interviews. However, in 1990 and in 2009 (the fourth wave of EVS), the Finnish material was collected via GallupChannel, i.e. by using Internet terminals installed in respondents' homes.
WVS/EVS data and documentation are also available on the Values Survey Database web site. The service is free, but downloading requires registration.
World Values Survey 2000: Finnish Data studies the respondents' values, attitudes and situation in life. Respondents evaluated the importance of various domains of life (e.g. family, work, leisure). They were asked whether they belong to any voluntary organisations, participate in these organisations' activities or in any other voluntary work. They were asked about discussing politics with their friends or their willingness to contribute financially to the diminishing of environmental pollution. Other questions queried how often they spend time with e.g. friends and colleagues and examined prejudices by asking which groups they would not want as neighbours (e.g. people of different race, left-wing or right-wing extremists, large families). General confidence in other people was studied. A range of questions surveyed happiness, satisfaction with life and whether respondents felt they had free choice and control over their lives. Respondents were asked to name the two most significant factors (of the four given) contributing to poverty.
Some topics pertained to work. Respondents were asked which aspects of work were important (e.g. colleagues, the pay). Other questions queried general satisfaction with work, possibilities for own decision-making and attitude towards working on the whole. Respondents were asked whether it is justifiable to favour Finns or men for employees when work is scarce.
A range of questions pertained to Evangelical Lutheran church, Finnish religious behaviour, religious beliefs, membership in religious communities and attitudes towards them. The views on factors contributing to successful marriages and the importance of children were surveyed, likewise the attitudes towards working mothers, child-rearing and abortion. The level of citizen participation was examined by asking whether respondents had ever participated, might participate or would never participate in certain types of legal or illegal activities to influence decision-making. Political inclinations were surveyed by asking respondents to place themselves on the left-right axis. Respondents gave their opinion about the responsibilities of the individual vs. the responsibilities of the government, the obligation of the unemployed to accept work, competition, state control over business and income disparity. Respondents were asked to evaluate the most important aims of Finnish society and the potential changes in Finnish values and life. Confidence in civil and governmental institutions and the opinions of Finland's political development and different political systems were examined. Respondents were asked to evaluate the acceptability and frequency of certain criminal, dishonest, dubious or controversial acts. The views on immigration, the degree of concern over the living conditions of certain people and the willingness to improve them were surveyed.
Background variables included sex, year of birth, marital status, number of children, level of education, social status, whether the respondent lives with parents or not, duration of potential unemployment, region of residence, and number of inhabitants in the municipality of residence. World Values Survey 2000: Finnish Data is part of the international World Values Survey and European Values Study.
Multistage stratified sampling
A three-staged stratified sampling was used. In the first stage the number of subjects required by the survey was divided regionally by province. In the second stage the number of subjects was divided within each province by municipality subgroup. City municipalities were grouped into big and small cities and rural municipalities into three different subgroups based on the occupational structure of the population. The third stage consisted of sampling starting points (starting addresses) in the selected municipalities. The number of starting points depended on the population size. The interviews were conducted with the random-walk method. Six interviews were made starting from the randomly selected starting points. One member corresponding to the age and gender eligibility criteria was chosen for the interview from each sample household.