Policies and practice of political culture: theory and sustainabilty
Policies and practice of political culture: theory and sustainabilty

Author(s): Ljubomir Hristić
Subject(s): Politics, Governance, Security and defense
Published by: Институт друштвених наука
Keywords: Political culture
Summary/Abstract: The idea of political culture has remained intuitively appealing as a framework for political explanation and assessment, despite a large body of compelling criticism that has accumulated since its introduction three decades ago. However, even recently, adherents of the political culture approach have been unsuccessful to address the fundamental shortcomings of the concept and its application. This book has two goals. First, a thorough analytical critique is undertaken of a dominant strand of political culture theory, closely examining major formative works (e.g. Almond and Verba) as well as numerous recent studies (e.g., Inglehart). Secondly, on the basis of this critique, a recasting of the concept is presented. The thesis underlying the examination is that theoretical and methodological problems were built into the concept of political culture at the outset. The chief conceptual problems identified are that: 1) the conceptual melding of the broader culture with political culture has muddled the identification of causes and subverted the investigation of political structures and procedures; 2) the assumption of cultural continuity has left change to be explained only outside the model; and 3) the insistence upon national units of analysis has obscured the significance of subnational political groupings. Major political trends in recent decades defy explanation in terms of the predictable approach to political culture, for prominent subcultural cleavages and rapid changes in collectively held political attitudes imply not only important effects emanating from the functioning of politics itself, but also a lack of uniformity across subnational groupings.

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