There are three theoretical schools within the field of comparative politics: the rational choice theories, the culturalist approaches as well as the structural analyses. This paper addresses the culturalist approach within comparative politics. To begin with the paper offers different definitions of ‘culture’, then shows how change in political culture can be measured and presents two different techniques for measuring values. The theory of political culture has many inquiries: among others it tries to explain electoral turnout, change in political behavior, and economic growth.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 What is ‘Culture’, can it change, and how to measure it.
3 Ranking vs. Rating
4 Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The paper examines the culturalist approach within comparative politics, aiming to define political culture, analyze its potential for change, and evaluate different methodologies for measuring values and beliefs.
- Theoretical definitions of political culture
- The relationship between cultural change and political behavior
- Methodological comparison: Ranking versus Rating techniques
- The role of political culture in shaping institutional performance
- Integration of cultural theory with rational choice models
Excerpt from the Book
3 Ranking vs. Rating
When trying to measure values Inglehart favors the technique of ranking. The ranking technique should consist of basic human values that everyone considers desirable and important. The rating technique on the contrary is only good for collecting information, he argues. The similarity of format would cue the respondent into giving similar responses to many items.
Ranking offers some real advantages for measuring values. It rather measures priorities than just levels of support as the rating technique only allows. Furthermore, the ranking technique is not determined by response set; one is forced to consider each item listed in a survey separately. (Inglehart 1997: 114-122)
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: Provides an overview of the three main theoretical schools in comparative politics and outlines the focus on the culturalist approach.
2 What is ‘Culture’, can it change, and how to measure it.: Explores various definitions of political culture and discusses how cultural values influence political behavior and institutional development.
3 Ranking vs. Rating: Compares two methodological approaches for empirical value measurement, highlighting the advantages of ranking over rating.
4 Conclusion: Summarizes the challenges in establishing a universal definition of political culture and reflects on the limitations of current measurement techniques.
Keywords
Political Culture, Comparative Politics, Culturalist Approach, Rational Choice, Value Measurement, Ranking, Rating, Institutional Performance, Political Behavior, Democracy, Cultural Change, Social Identity
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the culturalist approach in comparative politics, specifically examining how political culture is defined, measured, and how it impacts political systems.
What are the main theoretical schools mentioned?
The paper identifies three major schools in comparative politics: rational choice theories, culturalist approaches, and structural analyses.
What is the central research inquiry regarding culture?
The paper investigates what political culture is, whether it is subject to change, and which techniques are most effective for measuring it.
How is political culture measured according to the text?
The paper evaluates two main survey techniques for measuring values: the ranking technique and the rating technique.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers definitions of political culture from scholars like Lane and Inglehart, discusses the impact of culture on democratic institutions, and performs a methodological comparison of measurement tools.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include political culture, comparative politics, cultural change, ranking, rating, and value measurement.
Why does the author prefer the ranking technique?
The author argues that ranking forces respondents to prioritize specific values rather than just indicating levels of support, thus avoiding issues like response sets found in rating techniques.
What is the significance of the North-South Italy case study?
It serves as an example of how institutional performance and political behavior can be compared over time to track changes in political culture.
How does Putnam view the relationship between culture and history?
Putnam argues that culture can act as an independent variable shaping political actor behavior and simultaneously as a dependent variable shaped by historical context.
- Quote paper
- Claudia Baczewski (Author), 2005, Political Culture: Theory, Description or Mistake?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/63376
