FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE FORMATION OF POLITICAL CULTURE
Topic Cover –BA Sem-II Modern Political Theory
Submitted By
Dr. Jiwan Devi
Dept. of Political Science
HMV Jalandhar, Punjab, India
INTRODUCTION
MEANING OF POLITICAL CULTURE
DEFINITIONS OF POLITICAL CULTURE
COMPONENTS OF POLITICAL CULTURE
1.Coginitive Orientation
2.Effective Orientation
3.Evaluative orientation:
1. Political values 2. Political beliefs 3. Emotional attitudes
FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE THE FORMATION OF POLITICAL CULTURE
Following are main factors which are influencing the formation of political culture:
1. Historical Factors-The historical background of each country significantly contributes in the formation of its culture. Thus, it is desirable to acquaint ourselves with the history of a country in order to properly understand its present culture. For example, if we find that the people in India, as a general rule, obey the state laws and do not violate them, it may be attributed to the prolonged period of political servitude of the people in India.
2.Geographical Factors - Some scholars are of the view-point that the geographical factors like climate and terrain etc also influence the evolution of political culture in a country.
3. Social Factors- Social factors also invariably affect political culture of a state .example, the educated people would not fall prey to blind-faith and other social evils. The political culture of the educated and intellectual people is different from those of the uneducated ones.
4. Economic Factors-The economic factors also affect political culture. The political values of the rich are different from those of the poor, Of the unemployed persons, it will be still different. If starvation, famine, unemployment and economic dissatisfaction are on the increase in a state, the political culture of such people is bound to be affected accordingly. They will be dissatisfied with the political structure and will try to change it for the better.
5. Spread of Education-The spread of education also significantly contributes to the progress and change in political culture. An educated individual possesses mass political consciousness than his uneducated counterpart. The educated people are able to correctly understand the various political problems and are able to evolve their own independent views about the various political problems. They are never blind-followers.
Contribution of Education : The spread of education also significantly contributes to the progress and change in political culture. An educated individual possess more political consciousness than his uneducated counterpart. The educated people are able to correctly understand the various political problems and are able to evolve their own independent views about the various political problems. They are never blind-followers This is the reason that those areas of the state where education has abroad in a substantial manner, represent a political culture different from the political culture of the region .
6. Radio and Television-The contribution of radio and television in the evolution and progress of political culture cannot be ignored. These are very strong means of propaganda because most of the people take interest in the various programmers relayed on it.
7.Newspapers and Magazines-Newspapers, magazines and periodicals are also the important agents for the evolution and progress of political culture in a state. Different the people and scholars write articles and editorials on current political problems for these newspapers and magazines. In addition to this, these newspapers also publish critical analysis of various political problems. It is quite natural that the readers are influenced by the views expressed in them.
8. Ideological basis of Political System-Every political system has its own ideological basis which influences the political culture. For example, if a political system is based on liberal democratic ideology, there the people will be politically more active and will also be aware about their rights and duties. But if the political system is based on Marxian ideology it will have its own influence on the values and beliefs of the people.
9.Political Parties-Political parties also play an important role in the formation of political culture. At the time of elections, the different political parties prepare their election manifestoes and on the basis of that they try to win over the voters in their favour. Besides this, the ruling party propagate its policies and programme and the achievement of the government among the people and on the other side the opposition parties criticize the government and make the people aware of the weaknesses of the government. They also make use of newspapers, radio and television to reach up to the people
10.Pressure Groups-Though the history of pressure groups is very old, yet with the development of liberal democracy in the 20th century, the role of the pressure groups has become very effective and today in many ways they influence the thinking and ideas of the people. With the purpose to establish their support with the people and to convey their policies and programme to the people the pressure groups print literature, write essays and editorials in the newspapers, hold protests and demonstrations and this way they Increase the knowledge of the people. In these days there are so many Non-Government Organizations.
11. Internet, E-Mail and Mobile Phone Etc- In the modem age E-Mail Internet and Mobile Phones etc have brought a revolutionary change in the transfer of information from one place to another and has made the world a global village. Today, the world has really come in the feat of a person. While sitting at home you can get every information of the world just by pressing a button of your personal computer and through E-Mail you can share the same information with the people sitting in every part of the world. As a result of thin the time of sharing the information through letters has gone and an age of E-Mail has come. All this has influenced the believes and values of the people.
CONCLUSION
The political culture is composed of attitudes, beliefs, emotions and values of society that relate to political system and to political issues. There are so many factors which influence the formation culture of the developed states is more developed in comparison to the poor states for which the social, economic, political, geographical and historical diversities among these countries are responsible.
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