What is political culture

1
? starter activity
Military
Political culture is the set of values within
which a system operates What values
(characteristics) of British political life are
unique to this country? Think about how politics
operates in this country compared with our
European and transatlantic partners.
Monarchy
Law
Media
NHS
Civil service
2
British political culture some key features.

• Neutrality of TV v. political bias of media
• Freedom of press
• High moral standards expected of MPs public
  officials
• Monarchy is apolitical
• Independence of civil service
• Military is the servant of the state
• Respect for the rule of law
• Respect for public institutions, e.g. NHS

3
What is political culture ?
4
? Your task

• The UKs political culture is the product of a
  variety of factors. Look at the factors on the
  cards, and prioritise them according to your own
  opinion. Which has the greatest influence on our
  political culture? What evidence have you got to
  support this? Complete the table below once you
  have ranked the characteristics

5
? Your task

• How has political culture in Britain changed
  since 1945? Read Roberts, p.14-15 (section
  1.15-1.16) and list the key changes in political
  culture in the country. Use these headings to
  help you
• Thatcher era
• New Labour
• Post-modernism

6
Changes in political culture

• Thatcher era breakdown of post-war consensus
  self-reliance, enterprise market values
• New Labour Third Way constitutional reform
  responsibilities alongside rights
• Post modern partisan dealignment social
  religious pluralism globalisation

7
Civic culture
Gabriel Almond
Sydney Verba

• The Civic Culture Political Attitudes and
  Democracy in Five Nations (1963)
• Deference support for authority, rule of law,
  establishment etc.
• Consensus importance attached to peaceful
  resolution
• Homogeneity strong sense of community

How far do you agree with Almond Verba? What
evidence have you got their interpretation is now
wrong?
8
Civic culture

• Evidence Britains civic culture is under
  threat
• Lack of confidence in political institutions
• Social tensions e.g. race riots, BNP
• Breakdown of traditional class structures
• Public apathy e.g. low turnout
• Desire for constitutional reform e.g. devolution

Denis.Kavanagh
9
? Your task

• Imagine you are the ambassador for a foreign
  country. Write a brief summary of Britains
  political culture for your government. Think
  about the following features
• Key characteristics of British political culture
• How they differ from other nations
• Changes in its culture since the war
• Present threats to the culture

10
How do people become political animals?

• primacy v. recency models

11
When are our political views and opinions shaped?
When we are very young or when we are much older?
12
? Your task

• Read Roberts, p.15 and write a brief definition
  of the two key models of political socialisation
• The primacy model
• The recency model
• Which do you think is more accurate?

13
? Your task

• Which of the following has the greatest
  influence on shaping our own political values?
  Rank them in order of importance.
• family
• peer groups
• religion
• education
• mass media
• Look at the picture and the commentary on
  p.15-16, and create a spider diagram to summarise
  the key points.

14
Is Britain a classless society?
15

• How has class been defined? Study the three main
  models for studying class in Roberts on p.21