This document discusses the concept of political culture, which refers to the fundamental values, outlooks, and knowledge that shape politics in a given society. It covers several aspects of political culture, including civic culture, which balances participation with stability; post-materialism among educated youth; Huntington's theory of clashes between civilizations; the importance of elite political culture; and political culture in authoritarian states, which typically emphasizes security over self-expression. Contemporary trends shaping political cultures globally include democratization, marketization, and globalization.
2. Outline
What on earth culture is?
Civic culture
Political culture
New Political generation: post-materialism
Civilization and religion
Elite political culture
Political culture in authoritarian rule
Discussion time
3. What on earth culture is?
Defined by The United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
The set of spiritual, intellectual, and emotional features;
Lifestyle, ways of living together, value systems,
traditions, belief, symbols, meanings, and expectations,
etc.
Indicate who we are, what is important to us, and how
we should behave.
4. Why Culture Matters
Cultural norms typically change slowly and reflect
stable values.
It encapsulates the history, traditions, and values of a society.
Congruence theory
The distribution of cultural patterns is typically related to the
type of political process that citizens expect and support.
Do democracies create a participatory democratic public, or does
a political culture lead to a democratic political system?
It works both ways.
Political culture can build common political community, but it
can also have the power to divide.
5. Three levels of culture
individuals
Social norms
National laws
6. Civic Culture
Many citizens are active in politics but a
passive minority serves to stabilize the system.
It makes a liberal democracy is most likely to
develop and consolidate.
The source of stable democracy.
Resolving the tension within democracy
between popular control and effective
governance.
7. Political Culture [ 政治文化 ]
Culture consists of the distinctive spiritual and
symbolic characteristics of society;
it is the essential human characteristic,
articulating our nature as aware social beings.
Political culture, similarly, refers to
fundamental values, outlooks and knowledge
that give form and substance to politics in a
given country.
Also refer to civic culture, elite political culture.
8. Post-materialism:
New Political Generation
Postmaterialism is a commitment to radical quality of
life issues (such as the environment)
especially among the educated young, from a
foundation of personal security and material affluence.
Combination of affluence, peace and security in
Western countries in the post-war era
Postmaterialists gave priority to self-expression and
flexible rules.
Postmaterialists participate extensively in politics but
are inclined to join elite-challenging promotional
groups rather than mainstream political parties.
9. Civilization & Religion
Rather than countries, cultures would become
the leading source of political conflict in the 21st
century.
The focus shifted from a battle of ideologies to
a clash of civilizations.
10. Civilization & Religion
Rather than countries, cultures would become
the leading source of political conflict in the 21st
century. (Huntington)
The focus shifted from a battle of ideologies to
a clash of civilizations.
Huntington’s 7-8 civilizations (p103)
Relationships between states and civilizations
(p103)
Social values: equality for women,
homosexuality, abortion, and divorce, etc.
11. Political Culture in authoritarian
states
Authoritarian rule often means: NOT used to
democratic behaviors and values.
Such as: various thinking and behaving,
tolerating dissents, and seeing the advantages
of debate and discussion.
Ultimately, emphasizing the values of security
rather than self-expression, ex. Human rights.
China becomes a significant case of this kind of
political culture, regardless of good or bad.
12. Elite Political Culture
(1/2)
Consist of the beliefs, attitudes, and ideas
about politics;
Which are held by those who are closet to the
centers of political power.
In a state, the values of elites are more
systematic than the mass population.
Relations amongst the different groups of elites
14. Trends Shaping Contemporary
Political Cultures
Democratization
Marketization
Greater public acceptance of free markets
and private profit incentives, rather than a
government-managed economy
Globalization
15. Trends Shaping Contemporary
Political Cultures
Political culture is not a static
phenomenon.
Encompasses how the agents of political
socialization communicate and interpret
historic events and traditional values
Important to understand
Influences how citizens act, how the political
process functions, and what policy goals the
government pursues
16. Summary 1/2
Political culture as ‘the sum of the fundamental values,
sentiments and knowledge that give form and
substance to political processes.
Studying political culture through opinion surveys or
public symbols. Danger of ignoring subject cultures and
of stereotyping national character.
Civic culture: a participant style is balanced by less
engaged elements to produce a balance conducive to
democratic stability. Need to account for political
culture itself: can reflect as well as shape politics.
17. Summary 2/2
Post-materialism: cultural change in Western
democracies. The impact of post-war peace, affluence
and educational expansion. Generational replacement
as a mechanism of cultural change. The emergence of
political leaders with no experience of world war.
Huntington’s seven or eight civilizations and the clash
of civilizations.
The importance of elite political culture. Two
dimensions: a) the elite’s faith in its right to rule and b)
its willingness to compromise.
Political culture in authoritarian states.
18. Video clips
Chinese Politics Students
Social value shapes political culture
Islam and the clash of civilizations
19. Discussion Questions
What are the main political subcultures in your country?
Does modernization generate postmaterialism?
What difference does it make if people trust heir
government?
In your society, how, if at all, do the values of the
political elite differ from those of the general public?
Is there a clash of civilizations between the Muslim and
Western worlds?
Are authoritarian regimes sustained by cultures giving
‘priority to authority and strong leadership over freedom
and expression’?
Notas do Editor
{"5":"Culture is a big word. It is hard to say what culture exactly is. Nevertheless, we can apply the three levels of culture in order to draw a picture of defining culture.\n","11":"Civilization \n","17":"A political generation as a culturally distinctive age cohort. Distinguishing life-cycle and generational effects. Post-materialism: cultural change in Western democracies. The impact of post-war peace, affluence and educational expansion. Generational replacement as a mechanism of cultural change. The emergence of political leaders with no experience of world war.\nHuntington’s seven or eight civilizations and the clash of civilizations. Against this, Islam as a multi-vocal religion, a cultural resource which can be exploited in innumerable ways. Support for democracy widespread in both Western and Islamic countries but sexual attitudes more conservative in the Muslim world. The danger of civilizations – and of political culture generally – serving as blanket explanations. \nThe importance of elite political culture. Two dimensions: a) the elite’s faith in its right to rule and b) its willingness to compromise. Lijphart’s consociational democracy in Austria and the Netherlands – and in Belgium today.\nPolitical culture in authoritarian states. Founded on a traditional culture favouring authority and strong leadership – or is culture the effect rather than the cause? The example of Russia.\n","12":"Civilization \n","1":"In the lesson one, world politics is divided into state and non-state actors. In which, state consists of nation and nation-state.\nIn the lesson two, we can see states in the world politics as two type: democracy and non-democracy, namely authoritarian regime.\nHowever, no matter which forms, democratic or non-democratic, the political culture is shaped without saying. Therefore, today, we are going to talk about the concept of political culture.\n","13":"Even when the mass population is divided into separate and even hostile pillars. Political stability is still possible if pillar leaders can negotiate agreements on essential matters.\npillar1. Organized communities, typically based on religion (e.g. Catholic) or ideology (e.g. socialist). Depillarization refers to the weakening of the organized basis of such communities. See consociational democracy. 2. The three pillars (or columns, sectors, supports) of the European Union. These are the Community; Common Foreign and Security Policy; and Police and Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters.\n","8":"Postmaterialism is a commitment to radical quality of life issues (such as the environment) which can emerge, especially among the educated young, from a foundation of personal security and material affluence. Ronald Inglehart suggests that the rare combination of affluence, peace and security in Western countries in the post-war era crated a silent revolution in Western political cultures, as the traditional priority accorded to economic achievement made way for increased emphasis on the quality of life. From the 1960s, a new generation of postmaterialists emerged: young, well-educated people focused on lifestyle issues such as nuclear disarmament and feminism. Where prewar generations had valued order, security and fixed rules in such areas as religion and sexual morality, postmaterialists gave priority to self-expression and flexible rules. Postmaterialists participate extensively in politics but are inclined to join elite-challenging promotional groups rather than mainstream political parties.\n","9":"Civilization \n","10":"Civilization \n"}