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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

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Ingl

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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?

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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

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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

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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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