[1] Self-expression is a cluster of values that include social tolerance, life satisfaction, public expression and an aspiration to liberty.
Ronald Inglehart, the University of Michigan professor who developed the theory of post-materialism, has worked extensively with this concept.
[6] In the United States, Canada, Western Europe, and a growing proportion of East Asia, the vast majority of the people are no longer employed in factories, but work in the service sector instead.
[7] There has been a transition from a mechanical environment to one where more people spend more of their time dealing with other individuals, symbols, and information, thus workers in the knowledge sector need to exercise their own judgment and decision-making abilities.
Moreover, rising levels of financial stability bring more emphasis to values of self-expression that prioritise personal freedom of choice.