1 Political culture Political Culture & Political Socialization.
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Transcript of 1 Political culture Political Culture & Political Socialization.
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Political culture
Political CulturePolitical Culture& Political & Political SocializationSocialization
This weekThis week
1. Political culture and how to study it
2. Political socialization
3. The media and politics
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Political culturePolitical cultureWorld Values Survey database(based on Ronald Inglehart’s work)
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Definition of political cultureDefinition of political culture
• “Set of attitudes, beliefs, and values that underpin any political system”, McLean and Wood, Politics: An Introduction, p. 187
• Refers to dominant characteristics • Explains people’s views about political
issues• Explains political behaviours• Explains policies adopted by rulers
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The first study The first study of political cultureof political culture
• Gabriel Almond & Sidney Verba, The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations* (1965)
• Question: what kind of political culture makes democracy possible?
• Conducted through interviews & polls
5Gabriel Almond ,1911-2002Gabriel Almond ,1911-2002
Sidney Verba, 1932-Sidney Verba, 1932-
West Germany*United StatesUnited KingdomMexicoItaly
3 dimensions of political 3 dimensions of political culture produce 3 types of culture produce 3 types of political culturepolitical culture
Dimensions of political culture
1. Knowledge2. Feelings3. Judgment
Types of political culture
1. Parochial (traditional)
2. Subject3. Participatory
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• The three types of political culture don’t exist in pure form• Most societies exhibit a mix of the three types
Almon
d
Almon
d
& Verb
a
& Verb
a
Alwaysmixing
The 3 types of political The 3 types of political culturecultureParochial• No awareness
of a central government
• No separation between local government & society
• Minimal specialization is social roles
• Acceptance of social order
Subject• Awareness of
central gov.• Clear separation
between gov. & society
• Specialization in social roles
• Hierarchy of rulers & ruled• power flows
downward• obedience• no questioning
& expectation of change
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Participatory• Awareness of
central government
• Clear separation between government & society
• Specialization in social roles
• Expectation of society members to influence rulers
• as individuals• as groups
• State acts as a neutral actor
Almon
d
Almon
d
& Verb
a
& Verb
a
Ideal culture according to Ideal culture according to them: them: the “civic culture”the “civic culture”
• A mix of participatory culture…
• … and subject culture
• The civic culture is a pre-condition to a functioning democracy (not its cause)
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Almon
d
Almon
d
& Verb
a
& Verb
a
Ronald Inglehart, 1934-
More recent studies of More recent studies of political culture: the rising political culture: the rising post-material culturepost-material culture
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• Ronald Inglehart, The Silent Revolution: Changing Values and Political Style among Western Publics (1977)
• Material values on the decline• Post-material values
• self-expression • identity politics• pleasure-seeking
• Not necessarily a one-way progression,
not irreversible
Ingl
ehar
t
Ingl
ehar
t
Materialist vs. Materialist vs. post-materialist valuespost-materialist values
• Using Abraham Maslow’s pyramid of needs
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Post-materialist values
Materialist values
Possible overlap?
Ingl
ehar
t
Ingl
ehar
t
Subcultures & post-Subcultures & post-materialismmaterialism
• Subculture have always existed
• Proliferating since ’60s
• Dissatisfaction with dominant culture
• From “voice” to “exit”• wanting & seeking more responsive rulers• tuning out when rulers fail to respond• less voting, less attention to (political) news• other forms of social engagement
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Ingl
ehar
t
Ingl
ehar
t
Politics in a post-Politics in a post-material agematerial age
• From citizens to consumers• “I pay taxes”• “what’s the government doing for me?”
• Rise of political marketing• market research & data collection• pinpointing potential voters• targeted policies
• Appeal to lifestyle
• May or may not have coherent vision12
Ingl
ehar
t
Ingl
ehar
t
Political socializationPolitical socialization
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Defining political socializationDefining political socialization
“Process through which individuals are educated and assimilated into the political culture of a community”, MacLean and Wood, Politics: An Introduction, p. 190
• Multiple agents of socialization• Dependent on social settings, news
sources, etc.• Happens unconsciously
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State-driven socializationState-driven socialization
• The “official” culture & history
• Politicians’ speeches
• Content of policies & justifications given
• The measure of success• how many people repeat the “official”
line?• does the official line change to placate
(some of) the people?
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The educational systemThe educational system
• Very important
• Disputes over curriculum
• Nature of teacher-student relations
• May lose out over time
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FamilyFamily
• First site of socialization
• Direct
• Indirect
• Crucial early, then less so, then significant again
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The media and politicsThe media and politics
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The mass-mediaThe mass-media
• Reach mass audience• news: television, radio, major
newspapers• entertainment: TV shows, books,
movies, music• all-you-can-eat buffet: what about the
World Wide Web?
• Select, filter & represent “reality”19
A great show: On the Media from National Public Radio (US)
Representing “reality”Representing “reality”
• “Reality” cannot be represented
• “Objectivity” & “facts”
• “An image is worth a thousand words”, or is it?
• Choices must be made, but which choices? 20
The “doughnut model”of journalism
Limits of journalismLimits of journalism
• Freedom of speech & freedom of the press
• Journalists are workers in a corporation
• Heavy workload: news cycle & tight deadlines
• The Web & the fragmentation of news journalism: not one doughnut, but many
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Consensus
Legitimate contro-versy & room for
options
Marginal views & unacceptableoptions
“Freedom of the press exists for those who own one”—Benjamin Franklin
Media, advertisers, Media, advertisers, and viewersand viewers
• Media’s revenues• advertising
• Subscriptions (cable TV, mags, newspapers)
• Selling viewers to advertisers• entertaining & “informing”
audiences• … without upsetting advertisers
• Media concentration: few sources & limited range of views
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Canadians & their news38% television8% radio23% newspaper1% mobile phone30% computerSource: Canadian Media Research Consortium
To concludeTo conclude
As a set of understandings, values, attitudes, and principles, political culture is shaped by numerous agents of socialization who transmit to their audience their views of what the society is or should be like. The resulting political culture is thought to explain the political behaviour of individuals and groups in the society and their relations with the political system. The mass media have a particularly important role in shaping political culture and public opinion.
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