Understanding Political Culture and Civic Engagement
Political Culture: An Introduction
The concept of political culture has been a cornerstone in the study of politics. Cultural characteristics, often defined by national identity, have been used to explain the origins and evolution of various political regimes. The integration of political culture into modern political science is exemplified by the concept of civic culture. Almond and Verba defined political culture as the set of specific political orientations citizens hold towards the political system, its components, and their role within it.
Political culture attempts to connect the micro-level (individual attitudes) to the macro-level (political system). It encompasses a range of non-political attitudes and general guidelines, leading to a set of political attitudes toward the system. Almond and Verba’s definition laid the foundation for a major research paradigm in modern political science.
This approach has faced criticism and ongoing debate from various research paradigms, contributing to its decline in political science during the 1970s. However, criticism and theoretical contributions are inevitable. Almond and Verba’s work contains theoretical propositions and research lines that significantly contribute to studies of attitudes, behavior, and political participation.
The Civic Culture Explained
The basic psychological dispositions of citizens towards social and political objects can be cognitive, affective, and evaluative. Cognitive dispositions refer to knowledge and beliefs about the political system. Affective dispositions encompass feelings regarding the political system. Evaluative dispositions consist of judgments and opinions of political objects, combining information and feelings. Specifically, political orientations are directed toward three dimensions within the political system:
- The political system in general.
- Institutions that generate inputs to the system.
- The outputs of the system.
According to Almond and Verba, political attitudes towards goals and policies do not form a coherent and interrelated whole, influencing the political behavior of citizens. The political culture of a country is the aggregate of attitudes and orientations that must be consistent.
Another important aspect is the classification of political culture into three ideal types:
- The parochial: Individuals with limited awareness or engagement with the political system.
- The subject: Individuals who are aware of and subject to the political system but do not actively participate.
- The participant: Individuals who are actively oriented towards the system, taking an active role in the community and directing their efforts to both the input and output of the system.
Subjects within political communities are aware of a political authority that makes decisions affecting them and generate feelings toward the system in general. They lack the motivation or desire to take an active part in the political process, adopting a passive role within the system.