Culture and Democracy ch 3 the role of culture on political institutions Political Culture Asian Values and Re ligion are certain types of cultures better suited for specific institutions How does cul ture affect the emergence and spread of democracy Is Islam compatible with democ racy culture the behaviors and beliefs belonging to a particular social ethnic age group primordial pertaining to or existing at or from the very beginning Fixed constructed invented or created Malleable which is culture primordial or constructed If it is Malleable it might not be an in teresting explanation for political meaning does economy change culture can one country s government be successfully exported to another Montesquieu and Mill say no that Europeans need a Monarchy Orient needs Despotism Ancient World is only candidate for democracy thought that Government should be in relation to the climate soil occupations moral and mental habits and willingness to cooperate Almond and Verba argue that culture provides the psychological basis for democracy political culture how individuals think and feel about the political system splits into three parts civic culture participant parochial limited awareness of gov t and subject cul ture aware but little opportunity ability for influence Civic culture belief that individuals can influence political decision high support for ex isting systems high levels of interpersonal trust preference for gradual societal change Political culture attitudes are relatively enduring but not immutable Asian Values Bangkok Declaration 1993 says that Asian values justify a different way of under standing human right and democracy no human rights only collective ones Kuan Yew 1994 Singapore Prime Minister Confucianism s respect for authority and emphasis on community are antithetical to Western views of democracy Preference for social harmony consensus as opposed to confrontation dissent essentially Authoritarian and 1 party rule concern with socio economic well being not civil liberties and human rights Asian tigers export oriented authoritarian economies Preference for welfare and collective well bring of the community over individual loyalty and respect towards forms of authority including parents teachers and rights gov t Self Construal sis on autonomy action of individual context Language ment independent self construal western self is separate from social context empha interdependent self construal eastern self is part of broad social context self entails qualities of whole environment all these things affect thinking aesthetic preference art attraction social inter Individualism justice and equality competition self enhancement focus on traits Collectivism hierarchies avoid standing out mutual self enhancement focus on in English children learn nouns first focus on objects in Asian languages children learn more verbs stresses relationship with environ is collectivism primordial or constructed some think industrialization is ending it asian values provide a different way of understanding democracy and individual rights the argument has been used by various authoritarian leaders to justify non democratic forms of gov t many Asian countries are already transitioning Religion Huntington 1996 The Clash of Civilizations said Democracy is incompatible with Islam long history of linking religion with democracy Max Weber said Protestant work ethic and focus on individualism led to economic growth a growing bourgeoisie and eventually democracy Catholicism seen as antithetical to democracy emphasis on 1 church authoritar ian hierarchy established by church support of dictatorships around the world Protestantism emphasis on reading scripture in language mass education indi vidual responsibility denotes economic growth Islam Montesquieu said Islam has a violent streak that predisposes Muslim soci eties to authoritarianism Huntington said Muslims are prone to political violence the connection of political and religious spheres theocracy In Islam God is Caesar marginalization of women virtually all religions have some elements that can be seen as incompatible with democracy 1980s the Great Wave of Catholic Democratization largely supported by church many scholars point to a basis for democracy in the Koran the first Islamic State Medina False Dichotomy between religion and gov t Catholic Hypothesis countries with Catholic majority are less likely to become and stay democratic Protestant Hypothesis countries with Prot majority are more likely Islam Hypothesis countries with Muslim majority are less likely Ethnic Group Hypothesis countries with a large number of ethnic groups are less likely Religious Group Hypothesis countries with large number of religious groups less likely Cultural Group Hypothesis countries with large number of cultural groups are less likely Emergence of Democracy taking into account wealth and growth increased wealth makes transitions to democracy more likely high economic growth makes transitions to democracy more likely countries that are predominantly Catholic are more likely to become democracy having a protestant or muslim majority has no effect on whether a country be ethnic religious and cultural diversity do not appear to impede or aid the emer comes democratic or not gence of democracy Survival of Democracy increased wealth helps democratic survival high economic growth helps democratic survival Muslim majority doesn t harm democratic survival Protestant majority is good for democratic survival Catholic majority is bad for democratic survival ethnic and cultural but not religious diversity seems to be bad for democratic survival
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