Political Culture | Definition, components, Features and types

Political Culture

The concept of political culture is a completely new concept in the field of political science. After the Second World War, political analysts attempted to find out why political systems with similar political structural structures differed and the directions of political development also differed.

For this, political analysts started a comparative study of the political systems of developed and developing countries like India, France, America, Britain, Pakistan, Ghana, Egypt, etc., and in the end, made shocking conclusions. Due to the loyalty and depth with which political analysts observed the polity, this fact emerged in front of us that the reason for going in different directions of political development of these countries was the reason for these countries going in different directions of political development. form of political culture.

Political development of developing countries is hindering the path of the political system due to dependent political culture, whereas developed and participatory political culture is making political development compatible with the development of the political system in developed countries. 

Thus gradually the concept of political culture became the popular concept of political science and also the basis of sociological aspects of political development. That is why Lucian Pie has written – “In every particular society there is a limited and clear political culture which gives meaning, form, and structure to the political process.”

Within no time, scholars in political science like Parsons, Manhin, Sidney Burma, Lucian Pie, Ommond, Bir, Ulam etc. made political culture the backbone of comparative analysis in political science. Today, political culture is the only concept capable of presenting a developed approach to comparative studies in political science.

Definition of Political Culture 

The concept of political culture is based on the idea of ​​culture and Culture includes the behavior, beliefs, faith, loyalty, literature, traditions, art-skills, social values, morals etc. of the people of a country. According to Graham Wallace, “Culture is a set of ideas, values ​​and motives”.

Similarly, political scholars have called political culture the set of values, ideas and ideals of a political society. This concept was first used by Almond in 1956. In general, political culture is the name of the collective feelings of the people living within a state that are expressed as reactions to the political system. It has been defined by various scholars in their own way as follows:

• According to Lucian Pie- “Political culture is the set or set of attitudes, beliefs and attitudes that give meaning and order to the political process. It also explains the underlying assumptions and rules governing the behavior of the polity. 

• According to Almond and Powell- “Political culture is the system of attitudes and orientation of individuals towards politics among the members of any political system is related to legitimacy.” 

• According to AR Baal, “Political culture consists of those attitudes and beliefs, feelings and values ​​of society which are related to political system and political questions.” 

• According to Parsons – “Political culture is the adaptation made to political objectives.” 

• According to Roy Macridus – “Political culture refers to the common goals and general rules accepted by a human group. ” 

• According to Sidney Verba – “Political culture includes that system of empiricist beliefs, expressive symbols and values ​​that define the condition in which political action takes place.”

• According to Nettle- “Political Culture refers to the model or patterns of knowledge evaluation and transmission related to the state.” 

• According to Davis and Lewis, “Political culture is the method of orientation towards political actions within a specified society.” 

• According to Rowe – “Political culture is a model of individual values, beliefs and emotional attitudes”. 

• According to Rose and Dogan – “The concept of political culture is a convenient way of expressing in a nutshell the values, beliefs and attitudes that give meaning to political life.” 

• According to Beer and Ulam – “Many aspects of the general culture of a society are related to how the government should be run and what it should try to do. This area of ​​culture we call political culture. ” 

Thus, on the basis of the above definitions, it can be concluded that political culture is the attitude and interest of the people towards the political system which is based on the feeling of political belief.

Components of Political Culture 

Political culture is based on the attitudes, values ​​and attitudes of the people of the political society towards the political system and the attitudes, values ​​and beliefs of the people of the political society towards the political system. Political culture has the characteristic of subjectivity, it is part of personal development or adaptation. This adaptation is cognitive, emotional and valuable. Cognitive adaptation is related to the people’s knowledge of the political system, and emotional adaptation is related to the values ​​and decisions of the political system by the people.

From the point of view of this adaptation, the political system has three components – values, beliefs and sensitive attitudes. The political culture of each country is formed by these factors. The response to these factors is what makes a political system general or characteristic. That is why political culture is said to be the regulator of the nature of the political system. The nature of political culture can also be determined by evaluating the components of political culture. These components are as follows:

(1) Value Preferences 

In every political system the members who are interested in political things are definitely influenced by the values ​​of the system. These attitudes are beliefs and beliefs related to the public goals of the political society. Every political society has certain political values, such as elections must be held after a certain period; The government should leave its office if the public has lost its confidence, no person should be punished outside the law. But it is not necessary that all people have the same interest in these values. Some may be interested in social justice and equality, some may be interested in political stability and some may be interested in the rule of law.

Therefore, the reason for the difference in the functioning or behavior of political systems on the basis of political culture is the difference in value preferences. When the value attitudes of the people and the ruling class become unequal, the political system is clouded by crisis. 

(2) Belief Preferences

The attitudes of the public toward the political system are closely related to political values. Under this, those apprehensions are what is the amount and nature of people’s faith in the political system. A person may have confidence in casting a vote and some may not. On the basis of this belief, mutual relations between the ruler and the ruled are established.

When there is a difference in this belief, there is a quantitative difference in political cultures and the nature of the public’s belief in the political system also changes. This affects the operation of the political system. Therefore, political belief remains the regulator and operation of the political system through political culture. 

(3)Sentimental Preferences

It is related to the attitudes or feelings of the people towards the political system. If a person is proud of his country or system, then someone can also feel proud. Pressure groups are looked down upon in some countries and respected in other countries. The Indo-Pak partition in 1971 was also the result of a sensitive attitude. People in Britain have faith in the parliamentary system of government and they look at it with respect, whereas in India the attitude of the people towards the parliamentary system of government is not very good. The main reason for this is the difference found in sensory attitudes. 

Thus, on the basis of the above discussion, it can be said that the difference found in the components of political culture creates quantitative differences in political culture and this difference later manifests in the form of differences in political behavior. 

Nature and Features of Political Culture 

Political culture is a developing and dynamic concept. Its nature is changeable and development oriented. Its construction takes place in the background of historical development. Political behavior and political culture are closely related. This gives an idea of ​​the political conduct of the individual and the group. Being progressive and syncretic, it is the cultural heritage of the conservative society. It is also heavily influenced by the activities of pressure groups and political parties influencing the political system.

Some internal and external forces also have an effect on it. Changes, amendments, reforms and developments take place in political culture from time to time. The special nature of political culture is its mobility, not inertia. A political culture also encompasses many sub-cultures. It is also seen as a symbol of political unity. It has many forms and it is capable of adopting political practice. This nature of political culture can also be seen in its characteristics. Its main features are as follows:

• (1) Political culture is a subjective concept, as it studies the thoughts, beliefs and values ​​of the people. 

• (2) Political culture is a broad concept, as it encompasses many elements of political practice. 

• (3) Political culture is a part of the general culture, because it includes only the political values ​​and beliefs of the people.

• (4) The nature of political culture is different in every political system, because the components of political culture are found to differ in each country. 

• (5) Political culture is an abstract moral concept. 

• (6) Political culture is a dynamic and changing concept. 

• (7) There is a close relationship between political culture and political development. 

• (8) Political culture also influences the process of political socialization and modernization. An obstinate type of political culture obstructs the path of political modernization, socialization and development. 

• (9) Elements like geography, traditions, history, ideals, values ​​of life, climate, social and economic elements, national symbols etc. contribute to the formation of political culture. 

• (10) Political culture influences the political behavior of the masses.

From this it becomes clear that there are many types of political culture on different grounds. The main forms of political culture can be as follows:

(1) On the basis of numbers and power

On this basis, two distinctions of political culture are considered:

(i) Elitist culture: – This culture is the result of this belief. It is said that in every regime only a few people are the real holders of power and they have a great influence on the political system and the lifestyle of the people. The culture that Nehru and Gandhi gave birth to in India was more than that even though it was elitist. It maintains its attitude towards the general public along with nurturing the interests of the elite in society. 

(ii) Mass Culture:- This culture encompasses democratic conditions. It is a sign of public faith and creative power. In this, the general public cannot be neglected in the political process and public sentiments are taken care of at every level. In developed countries, it goes along with integral culture. This type of culture is becoming more prevalent in developing countries. 

(2) From the point of view of continuity and continuity

On this basis, political culture can be divided into three parts:

• (i) Traditional Political Culture 
• (ii) Modern Political Culture:
• (iii) Mixed Political Culture 

Traditional culture is related to the general public, whereas modern political culture is related to the specific class of rulers. Mixed culture is found in Britain and India. Because there is a beautiful blend of tradition and modernity. In Britain, the oligarchic political structure has been identified with such a social and economic structure that the interests of both the elite and the masses are nurtured in it. There is a similar trend in developing countries. In totalitarian countries, both modern and traditional cultures, fostering specific class interests, are found. Almond-Coleman believes that all political societies have a mixed form of political culture. 

(3) On the basis of political participation

The scholars who classify on this basis are Omand and Verba. He says that people want participation in every political system. But it is not necessary for all systems to be full and active political participation. So on the basis of what is the level of public participation. People are indifferent to politics or active, political culture is divided into purely three parts:

(i) Parochial Political Culture:- This type of political culture is found in less developed and traditional political societies. Is. The main reason for this is that in these societies less specialization is paid by the ruling class itself. In this, the public is often indifferent toward politics. Political leaders perform religious, social, economic and political roles simultaneously. In this, there is no demand or investment towards politics on the part of the public, nor does it pay attention to the outputs. 

(ii) Subject-Political Culture:- This type of political culture is born in those societies, where the public is indifferent to politics and it compulsively bears the government orders silently and obeys them. Lives. This political culture existed only in the dependent colonies. In this type of culture, the public stays away from the inputs, but pays attention to the outputs. In this culture the political orientation of the people is active only at the level of taking from the system. In essence, the political activity of the people is often limited in nature. Sometimes this type of culture becomes the parent of great movements as a result of the outputs. This culture is also called democratic culture. 

(iii) Participant-Political Culture: – This type of political culture is found in those societies, where people are provided full opportunities for political cooperation. In this culture, the people keep an equal eye on the instructions and the outputs. This type of culture is found in developed countries. In this, the attachment and trust of the people towards the political system remain high. In this, the public remains aware of their rights and duties.

It is also called democratic political culture. Apart from the above pure forms, in mixed form, Almond and Verba have divided political culture into three parts:

• (i) narrow-subjected political culture. 
• (ii) Dependent-participatory political culture. 
• (iii) Narrow participatory political culture. 

(i) Parochial-Subject Political Culture: – This culture is of mixed nature. Characteristics of both types of political cultures are found in it. Both types of people are found in it. Some people are part of politics. Have an attachment to and stay some distance. 

(ii) Subject-Participant Political Culture: – This culture is full of the qualities of subordinate political culture and participatory political culture. This culture is found in those societies. where people have an attachment to the political system. There are also some people who are interested only in the inputs and outputs. The rise of this culture coincided with the beginning of the increase of people’s participation in the political system. 

(iii) Parochial Participant Political Culture: – In this type of culture, not only the ruling class affects the people, but the people also influence the government policies. In this, the will of the people is fully respected. This culture is narrow and S The shared political culture retains the characteristics of both. 

(4) On the basis of qualitative nature

SE Finer in his book ‘The Man on Horseback‘ has given four types of political culture:

• (i) Adult or mature political culture.
• (ii) Developed political culture.
• (iii) Low political culture. 
• (iv) Pre-French Revolution – Low level political culture 

(i) Mature political culture: – This culture is found in Britain, Australia and the Netherlands. The degree of political consensus and organization in this is very high. In this, the use of military power is avoided. Under this, only the civil government has the right on the supreme power of the government. This culture is also found in countries with political stability. 

(ii) Developed Political Culture: – This culture is found in countries like Egypt, Algeria and Cuba. This type of political culture is fearful of political stability as well as military threats. In such an environment, efforts are made to pacify the general public by showing them the fear of power, but the possibilities of revolution or coup always remain. In this, the clouds of crisis hang over the civilian government. 

(iii) Low Political Culture:- This culture is found in those political societies where public opinion is not strong. For this reason, there is a lack of feeling of public protest in it. In countries with its culture, political institutions remain in a very weak position. In this, people wish for good governance, but their dream is not fulfilled. In this system, the democratic beliefs are under the grip of military dictatorship. Due to people being divided, this culture is found in countries like Vietnam, Syria, Burma, Indonesia, Pakistan etc. 

(iv) Pre-French Revolution-Like Pre-French Revolution Minimal Political Culture:- This culture is found in countries where the government can arbitrarily disregard the views of the people. This culture existed in France before the French Revolution. There is no place for this culture today.

(5) Governance on the basis of emotions generated  

On this basis, Almond has divided political culture into four parts on the basis of political system of nations, geographical system, developing trend etc.:

• (i) Anglo-American political system. 
• (ii) Continental European political system. 
• (iii) The non-western and partly pre-industrial political system. 
• (iv) Totalitarian political system. 

(i) Anglo-American Political System :- This culture is found in Britain and America. In this, there is a beautiful amalgamation of the secular and secular beliefs of the present. In countries belonging to this culture, special importance is given to individual freedom, rights and security. In this the nature of society is pluralistic. In this, the possibilities of authoritarian rule are less and there is also stability of roles. It also has the property of specialization and differentiation. 

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(ii) Continental European Political Culture:- This political culture is found in less developed western democratic countries like France, Italy, Sweden, Norway, Germany etc. In this political culture, neither the people have complete confidence in their leaders nor the leaders are completely dependent on their people. In this type of culture, the role of pressure groups is more in the political process than in the people. This type of culture also gives rise to many sub-cultures. 

(iii) Non-Western or Partially Pre-Industrial Political System:- In this type of system, the unity of political culture is reflected due to the dominance of one party over the system of governance. . In this, power and governance are kept justified on the basis of power. In this the importance of bureaucracy increases greatly. In this, the public is cheated in the name of public participation. In this, more attention is paid to duties than rights. This type of culture is found in China and other communist countries. 

Thus, after the above discussion, it can be said that there are many types of political culture on different grounds. Apart from the above classification, some other forms of political culture have also been given by some scholars. He has also described political cultures as secular, civil, ideological, homogeneous, fragmented etc. But these forms also dissolve under the above description. There is no need for their separate discussion. It is true that every country is associated with some kind of political culture. Today, along with political culture, sub-political cultures are also emerging in all countries. Therefore, the statement of Aumond-Coleman is correct that today only a mixed form of political culture is found in the polity in the world.