Chapter 8 Flashcards
(31 cards)
Almond and Verba say:
civic culture is a blend of
- participant political culture
- subject political
- parochial political culture
Participant political culture
Almond and verba, type of civic culture
- citizens very active in politics, and participation is seen as desirable and effective
subject political culture
Almond and verba, type of civic culture
- citizens passive, feel limited influence on government
Parochial political culture
Almond and verba, type of civic culture
– no sense of citizenship. Repping hood not nation. No desire or ability to politically participate
Almond and Verba say, democratic stability needs…
citizens that have blend of activity and passivity, and government that has blend of obligation and performance
UK and US in A&V model
- UK – came closest to civil culture, believe they can influence government and obey authority
- US – high, but participant behaviours outweigh subject ones, not law abiding
criticism of Almond and Verba
- Treats passivity as healthy, when political participation upholds democracy
- Assume political culture shapes behaviour and not the other way around
- Treats political culture as homogenous (doesn’t think of intersectionality)
Marxist political culture says…
o The ideas of the ruling class are the ruling ideas o Material force = intellectual force
Marx 2 theories of culture
Culture is class-specific • members of class share experiences, therefore they share ideas • 2. Ideas of ruling class becoming ruling ideas • political and civic culture are bourgeois ideology • culture and values = form of power
Marx says the function of ideology is to…
oppress poor by creating myths and falsehoods, and false consciousness
Bourgeois hegemony
Marx idea, ruling of lower class through ideology instead of coercion
Herbert Marcuse on repressive tolerance
• Believing freedom of speech and stuff, but its actually the same bourgeois agenda
Gramsci says..
- Class system is upheld by bourgeois hegemony
- Spiritual and cultural supremacy of the ruling class
- Battle of ideas
- Must take place for socialism
- Proletarian ideas combat bourgeois’ values
Subjective vs. Objective interests
- Subjective interests – what people think they want
* Real interests – what people would want if they were actually informed
Putnam says…
social capital is declining
Putnam explains social capital as a mix of
networks of civic engagement
norms of reciprocity
social trust
Putnam networks of civic engagement is
- People joining groups, organized activity
* Society where people are actively engaged with each other
Putnam says norms of reciprocity is
- Not just loving everyone, but being rewarding trusting behaviour, and being paid trusting behaviour
- Cooperation
Putnam Social capital globally
collapsed across America, but split Italy into two
• North Italy had high levels of social capital, and sustained itself for many generations
• South Italy had exactly opposite indicators, no social capital
Failure of cooperation
• US in 1950s was high social capital society, but since then it has declined
Pluralist model of media
o media is place where debate is possible
o essentially neutral
o reflects society
o media is positive, creates informed citizens and
o enhances quality of democracy, makes government do better
o watchdog
o strengthened political competition by giving protest groups information and outlet
o criticism
• weak and unorganized groups are excluded
Dominant ideology model
o Mass media is politically conservative force for the social elites
o Promotes passivity amongst audiences
o Bourgeois ideas
o Acting in the interests of major corporations and media moguls
o Promotes globalization and western consumerism
o Criticism:
• Doesn’t acknowledge radical progressive press
• Elite-values model
o Focuses on who filters the media
o Political bias
o Media reflects values of people in charge
o Model versions:
• 1. Liberals say conservative views are because people in charge are rich
• 2. Conservatives say that media reflects the views of university educated Yankee liberals
• 3. Feminists say women are treated shitty because men are in charge
market model
o media doesn’t shape, it reflects
o media is profit driven, and give people what they want
o infotainment
media and democracy
o Free press – uncensored press o Media promotes democracy • Fosters debate • Watchdog power without responsibility
