Culture and Corruption

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Culture and Corruption

• Peter.Larmour_at_anu.edu.au

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Meanings of Culture

• Intellectual and spiritual development
• Total way of life (as in Anthropology)
• Artistic endeavour dance, music, art
• Source Raymond Williams 1976
• .Cultural Studies since the 70s

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Misuses of the concept of Culture

• Uncaused cause
• Last resort
• Veto on comparison
• Source Thompson et al 2006

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Culture in National Integrity Systems Studies

• source of dilemmas
• characterised by caring and sharing
• variations within some countries
• part of traditional integrity system
• caused by small scale
• as feature of particular institutions
• as something pervasive and entrenched
• a job description (cultural officer)

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Obasanjos gift

• Token
• Not demanded
• Spiritual not material worth
• Open not secret
• Returned if too much
• Source Transparency International 2000

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Obligations in Gift Economy

• Obligation to give
• Obligation to accept
• Obligation to reciprocate (with interest)
• Source Mauss 1990

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Points where culture matters

• In general suspicion of corruption
• In identification of particular acts or people
• In the seriousness with which it is taken
• In willingness to criticise or report
• In reaching authoritative judgments
• In implementing authoritative decisions
• In punishment (and forgiveness)

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Some other issues

• Ethics and culture weighing up
• Multiculturalism trading minorities
• Popular culture getting by
• Elite culture the social constraint towards
  self-restraint (Norbert Elias)