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Meaning & Definition
Norms, values, beliefs, attitudes, and orientation of people toward politics and political system. Patterns of political behavior result from beliefs and attitudes.
"Set of values, beliefs, and attitudes within which a political system operates." – Kavanagh
"A structure of value and belief in the political system." – Macridis
"Pattern of orientations to political objects among members of the nation." – Almond & Verba
"Political culture involves attitudes, feelings, sentiments, beliefs, and values giving form and substance to political processes." – Lucian Pye
"Set of attitudes, beliefs, and sentiments providing underlying assumptions and rules governing behavior." – International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences
"Activity through which individuals/groups articulate, negotiate, implement, and enforce competing claims." – Baker 1990
Almond & Verba
1963 empirical study: The Civic Culture: Political Attitudes and Democracy in Five Nations. Nations: UK, USA, Italy, Germany, Mexico.
3 Aspects of Political Culture:
- Cognitive: Awareness of political system, motives, identities, institutions
- Affective: Feelings and attachments toward politics
- Evaluative: Assessment of outcomes (policies/decisions)
3 Ideal Types:
- Parochial: Ignorance and non-involvement (e.g., Somalia, Sierra Leone)
- Subject: Knowledge but disinclined to participate (e.g., rural India under Mughal/British rule)
- Participative: Knowledge and willingness to participate (e.g., USA)
Civic Culture: mix of all three types.
Other Thinkers
Influencers of Political Culture approach:
Talcott Parsons: ideas about political culture
Samuel Edward Finer: categorized as matured, developed, low, minimal
W.H. Morris-Jones: political culture in India
Rajni Kothari: Politics in India, Caste in Indian Politics, Rethinking Democracy
Rousseau, Durkheim, Montesquieu, Weber: influenced cultural discourse
UGC NET Key Points
- Political culture approach is Modern approach in Comparative Politics
- Definitions by Lucian Pye, Almond & Verba
- Book The Civic Culture by Almond & Verba
- 5 nations studied
- 3 aspects and 3 ideal types of Political Culture
- First empirical study of Political Culture
- Almond & Verba influenced by Talcott Parsons
- Civic Culture: mix of all 3 ideal types