Evaluating cohabitation: analysis of value-framing in opinion articles on the cohabitation act

Abstract

This work examined the use of value frames in public discourse on the Cohabitation Act based on S. H. Schwartz’s theory of basic human values. More specifically, this thesis investigated which value frames were used in opinion articles on the cohabitation act and to what extent the relative prevalence of value frames reflects the value preferences of Estonians according to data from the 7th round of the European Social Survey. Two key premises of Schwartz’s (1992; 2012) theory of values are that a) there are ten universally recognized basic values and b) these values are interrelated and function in an integrated fashion. A sample of 51 opinion articles was coded for value frames based on each of Schwartz’s ten basic human values. Value-frames were ranked based on their frequency of use from most prevalent to least prevalent. All of Schwartz’s ten values were used as frames in opinion articles discussing the Cohabitation Act. The most prevalent value frames were benevolence (78%), universalism (68%) and security (63%) while power (11%), achievement (11%) and stimulation (2%) were the least prevalent. The data obtained content analysis was compared to Human Values data from the seventh round of the European Social Survey, where the values held by Estonians were ranked based on the relative importance assigned to them. Comparison of the two data sets revealed that the relative importance assigned to values was positively correlated with the frequency at which they were used as frames in opinion articles.