Concept of Civic Culture | meaning, Determinants, Importance

Concept of Civic Culture 

Today’s era is the era of democratic-welfare states. Liberal form of democracy The main feature of modern democracy from which the risk of escape can put any political system in danger. Today, the need of the hour is to ensure the maximum participation of the people in the process of governance. Today, the means of mass communication and the changing world environment have warned all countries that they should not remain indifferent to civic culture.

The Anglo-American system is, to some extent, a reflection of civic culture. Elements like individual liberty, public welfare, security etc. are the basis of building civic culture. Such a culture can establish a consensus between ends and means. In countries where citizens are aware of their rights and duties, this type of culture can easily be created. The level of participation and tolerance in this type of political culture is very high. In this, decision-making structures are responsible for the effectiveness of decisions. This type of political culture neither allows the ruling class to be arbitrary nor can that arbitrariness be tolerated. This type of culture has developed in Britain and America and today there is a need to develop it in other countries of the world as well.

Meaning of Civic Culture 

In a simple sense, the political culture that establishes liberal democracy is called civic culture. In this type of culture, the characteristics of all political cultures are narrow, subservient, and participatory. Therefore, the culture consisting of these three characteristics is called civic culture. Almond and Sidney Verba have defined civic culture as saying, “Culture that is appropriate in handling liberal democracy and keeping democratic beliefs and showing and giving importance to democratic values ​​is called civic culture.” 

Explanation of Civic Culture 

Many scholars, presenting their perspective on civic culture, have presented the conclusion that in today’s rapidly changing international system and society, there is a need to create an ideal civic culture. Go. He believes that civic culture can be created only by establishing a balance between the capacity of governance and the participation of citizens in the political process. With its establishment, due to the knowledge of the rights and duties of the citizens, there can be harmony in their indifference and activism toward the political process. T

Therefore, for its establishment, it is necessary that citizens should maintain more awareness and activism in matters of public interest so that the autocracy of the ruling class can be stopped and the political leadership can be made responsible for the public interest. Although it is natural for some obstacles to arise in its construction. But due to the capable work spirit and national loyalty of the people in the democratic governance system, it can be controlled to a great extent. In its democracy, a balance between consensus and differences can be created, because in a democracy such harmony and balance is found in small quantities.

All that is necessary for its establishment is that the political views and values ​​of the citizens are in harmony with the principles of political equality and participation. This task can be made easier by the government based on public consent, by working in the public interest, with the goal of establishing harmonious relations between the ruler and the ruled. With its establishment, the civil government will be born and all people will discharge the responsibility of participation in civil governance the situation of dictatorship or forced state will be weakened by forced change and an ideal civil society will be established which will be on a broader basis than its earlier societies. In which everyone’s wishes will be respected.

Determinants of Political Culture 

Every country has a different type of political culture. The main reason for this is the difference found in its determinants. Political culture is also closely related to the general culture. For this reason the determinants of general culture also influence political culture. These determinants are the regulators of the nature of political culture. These elements can be the following:

(1) History :- The roots of any political culture are rooted in history. Political systems and cultures can never break its ties with the past. The communist revolutions have also not forgotten the past experiences in Russia and China. Britain has a beautiful blend of past and modernity. There, beautiful coordination of oligarchic beliefs with democratic beliefs is seen, it is rare elsewhere. Almond-Coleman has said that all political cultures are mixed, and the root reason behind this is the sticking of political cultures to traditions. The threat of getting rid of the past, which was raised in France after the Revolution of 1789, kept the French political system unstable until 1958.

Today, the political culture of India is influenced by the events of the 1857 revolution and the subsequent independence movement and the Indo-Pak partition. The Bill of Rights of 1689 and the Civil War of 1865 had an impact on the British and American political culture. That is why it is said that history is the root and politics is its fruit. Despite the small difference in the time of independence of India, China and Sri Lanka, there is a great difference in the political cultures of these countries. The main reason for this is the difference found in historical events. 

(2) Geography:- Geography also affects the political culture of a country. Unity in diversity is essential for the existence of a nation. Geographically secure and developed nations easily bear minor mishaps. Being an island, Britain has been safe from foreign invasions till date. West Germany also being geographically situated between Russia and America, due to the direction of international alliances of both, remained a federal republic. If any change was made in this situation, its effect could endanger international peace.

After 1947, the geographical distance of India and Pakistan also gave birth to different types of state cultures in both countries. The political culture of geographically secure and prosperous countries has been more advanced and development-oriented. The special geographical location of Nepal and Bhutan today has given them a distinctive political culture that is quite different from that of India and China. 

(3) Social and Economic Development:- The development of political culture is also relative to social and economic development. In a country where the quality of social harmony or unity is found, the political culture of that country is also flowing and easy. It is impossible to get political instability there. Similarly, ample opportunities for economic development are also created differently from political culture by empowering the political system.

Similarly, in industrial society, due to the development of means of communication and increase in educational level, the participation of groups and groups in policy-making increases, whereas agricultural society or rural society gives rise to a different kind of political culture due to abstaining from political orientation. . A society with social and economic inequalities creates a crisis for both the political system and the political culture by giving rise to sub-cultures. 

(4) Ideologies:- Political ideologies are also determining political culture. In developing countries, political culture is being created according to ideologies. The ideology of Gandhi and Nehru has the same influence in India as the ideology of Subhash and Tilak. For this reason, there is a mix of political cultures in India. Nazism in Germany, communism in China, Fascist in Italy, and Liberal ideologies in America and Britain have contributed significantly to the formation of political culture there. Fascist and Nazi elements are still reflected in the political culture in Italy and Germany. Therefore, ideology is also a major determinant of political culture. 

(5) General Culture: – Political culture is based on general culture only. General culture is considered to be the major regulatory element of political culture. Political culture cannot be separated from general culture. The common culture is considered to be the fundamental and permanent basis of political culture. The main cause of political instability arising in developing countries is the separation of political culture from the general culture.

The political culture of developing countries keeps away from the secularization of the general culture, increases the political awareness of the people about the political system of the developed countries and provides stability to the political system. 

(6) National Symbols: – In a country where people will have a deep affection for national symbols – national anthem and song, national flag, national festival, national monument, the national language, national heritage etc., the political culture of that country is also high. – level. This will create a quality of unity in the political culture which will help in political stability.

On the contrary, in a country where national symbols are not respected, the political culture of that country will remain low. In Japan, Germany, China, America, and Britain, due to the respect of national symbols, the political culture there is of an advanced kind. Due to the lack of respect for national symbols in India, the political culture has not developed as much as it should have. 

(7) Religion: – In a country where religion has more influence in politics, the quality of tolerance also comes in the political culture of that country. Due to the greater influence of religion in Vatican City, Nepal and Islamic countries, it has more influence on both political and political culture. In India too, virtues like non-violence are manifested in political culture. 

(8) Political Stability:- An advanced type of political culture can be formed only in the environment of political stability. Due to the political instability in developing countries, the political culture here has not been able to become of very high quality. Political stability gives a new identity to both a political system and a political culture. says that the high homogeneity in political culture is due to political stability.

Apter, geography, social, economic development, religion, political stability, national symbols, ideologies, etc. In this, the attitudes of the people also have a special place. The active political orientation of the people gives new forms to both the political system and political culture. General The desired development of political culture cannot take place apart from culture. Therefore, it can be concluded that there are many determinants of political culture which determine the nature of political systems.

Importance of the concept of political culture

In modern times, the concept of political culture is considered an important concept of political science. With the advent of political culture, knowledge of the direction and speed of political socialization and political development has started. Its advent has given impetus to comparative studies. It has also made the subject area of ​​Political Science great.

This has made it easier to understand political behavior. Its advent has made it easier to study the complexities of political behavior that arose after the Second World War. It has liberated political science from the complex studies of formal institutions.

Political behavior has now come to be understood in the context of political structures, processes and functions in terms of their attitudes. Lucian Pie has written – “In every particular society there is a limited and distinct political culture which provides meaning, prediction and structure to the political process.” Scholars studying political development have also started giving priority to the study of political culture.

Read Also:- Political Culture | Definition, components, Features, and types

The study of political culture has given a new direction to a comparative study by recognizing the realities of political behavior. Now the identification of dynamic elements of political behavior. It has become easy and it has become easy to take them near to generalization. Scholars like Max Weber, Mannheim, Pie Ommond, Verba, Lerner, Morton, Rajni Kothari, etc. have drawn useful conclusions from empirical studies on political culture.

Therefore, it can be concluded that no one has been as helpful as this concept in understanding the intricacies of political behavior arising after the Second World War. Therefore, the concept of political culture is comparative in political science. It is an important and useful concept to study.