Intergenerational Transmission of Values Among Three Generations of Polish Women: The Moderating Role of Religiosity

Abstract

This article examines the intergenerational transmission of values in Polish families, focus­ing on three generations of women: grandmothers, mothers, and daughters. The point of departure is the axiological transformations observed in European societies, particularly the processes of secular­ization and individualization. The study involved 417 women from 139 three-generational families, in which the hierarchy of values was analyzed using Max Scheler’s theory. The findings reveal an increase in the importance of hedonistic and esthetic values across successive generations, accompanied by a de­cline in the significance of religious and secular sacred values. In religious families, however, the pace of these changes proved slower, with greater intergenerational similarity in value systems. Religiosity emerged as a significant moderator in the dynamics of axiological transformation. On this basis, the ar­ticle draws pastoral conclusions that emphasize the need to support families in the process of religious and moral education. The results contribute to the broader discourse on value change in post-traditional societies, providing both a foundation for pastoral reflection and a point of departure for further inter­disciplinary research.