POLS 373 Foundations of Comparative Politics

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POLS 373 Foundations of Comparative Politics

• Lecture Introduction to Theory in Comparative
  Politics
• Lecture Date January 23, 2007

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• To start off our discussion of theory, we will
  begin with an exercise Consider the following
  statements (arguments) about violent crime

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theories about gun violence argument no. 1
• A major source of violent crime lies in
  predictable human behavior. In places where the
  risks of getting caught are minimal where the
  potential rewards are high, individuals are
  likely to commit more crimes in general. This is
  especially true in poorer communities, where
  people may have limited access to jobs, education
  and skills training. Violent crime specifically
  is more likely (1) when the use of violence is
  a particularly efficient and/or neces-sary
  tool, and (2) where the use of violence to
  achieve ones ends entails relatively limited
  risk compared to the alternatives.

Picture Two unidentified members of the Mara
Salvatrucha, or MS-13, show their tattoos in
front of a message that says "we ask the Honduran
people for forgiveness," in a unit of the
National Penitentiary in Tamara, Honduras, 19
miles north of the capital Tegucigalp
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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theories about gun violence argument no. 2
• Capitalism causes violence. Not directly, but
  through a unrelenting process that divides
  societies into the haves and have-nots and
  that glorifies competition and efficiency, while
  reducing individuals to abstractions. In this
  way, capitalism alienates people from each other,
  their families, and their communities, thus
  setting the stage for anti-social, increasingly
  violent behavior among ordinary people, against
  ordinary people.
• Violence is a response to the soulessness and
  hopelessness engendered by an inherently
  exploitative economic system. Of course,
  violence is not unique to capitalism, nor are all
  capitalist societies equally violent. Where the
  most destructive, alienating, and exploitative
  aspects of the capitalist process are mitigated,
  intra-societal violence is lessened. But where
  the forces of capitalism are unleashed and where
  vast segments of society are left unprotected,
  violence thrives.

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theories about gun violence argument no. 3
• People and societies are responsible for their
  own actions and decisions, but they do not exist
  or act in a social vacuum. Their behavior, in
  other words, is profoundly influenced by the
  environment in which they live. This
  environment, which we might call culture, may
  encourage certain practices and values that
  encourage criminally violent behavior among
  certain groups of people. More specifically, in
  some places, a culture of violence has been
  created. In this culture of violence, members
  of the community learn to resolve or address
  problems and conflicts primarily through the use
  violence. Violence, in other words, becomes a
  dominant and largely accepted norm within the
  community. Importantly, cultures of violence are
  not born, but created. Over time, however,
  violent cultural practices become deeply embedded
  
• within a community, taking on a life of
  their own. When this happens, the
  culture itself becomes an explanation
  for behavior.

One can argue that a culture of violence, albeit
not one of gun violence per se, existed in the
era of Jim Crow in the American south. Repugnant
violence, particularly in the form of public
lynchings, were an accepted norm, viewed as
entertainment by many southern whites.
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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Summary of Theories on Gun Violence
• Argument 1 A major source of violent crime lies
  in predictable human behavior
• Argument 2 Capitalism causes violence
• Argument 3 Crime reflects a culture of
  violence

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics
• Key points
• Each of the three theories represent different
  research traditions common in comparative
  politics
• Each of the three theories are marked by
  significant differences
• One important difference relates to a level of
  analysis
• Micro-level
• Meso-level
• Macro-level

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics Levels of
  Analysis
• Micro-level
• Looks for an explanation of behavior within or
  at the level of the individual e.g.,
  psychological explanations of Mansons violent,
  sociopathic personality are micro-level
• Meso-level
• Looks beyond the individual to broader
  environmental conditions e.g., some cultures
  encourage, reward, and even compel members of the
  culture to behave violently others, such as the
  Amish community, teach their members to abhor all
  forms of violence (only one Amish man has ever
  been convicted of murder)
• Macro-level
• Looks at the biggest forces that shape, not
  just individual behavior, but whole societies
  assumes that all human action is both constrained
  and enabled by factors beyond our individual
  control Marxists believe that capitalism is an
  all-encompassing social system that profoundly
  shapes our behavior

To Marxists, the global system of neo-liberal
capitalism is an overarching force shaping the
entire world
The Amish A culture of peace and non-violence?
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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics
• Another way to classify the statements is in
  terms of the three research traditions discussed
  in chapter three
• Theory 1 fits into a ___________________
  framework
• Theory 2 fits into a ___________________
  framework
• Theory 3 fits into a ___________________
  framework

rational choice
structural
cultural
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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics
• Which approach best reflects your current
  understanding of gun violence (or criminal
  violence more generally)? Are a rationalist, a
  structuralist, or a culturalist? Which hat do
  you already wear?

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics
• What is theory? What is meant by the term
  theorizing?

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics
• When we theorize, we are
• making judgments about what it and is not
  relevant or important in terms of explaining some
  significant economic, social or political
  phenomenon
• identifying a specific level of analysis and
  making assumptions about power, structure, and
  agency
• connecting certain facts with specific outcomes

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics
• A basic definition of theory
• A theory is a kind of simplifying device that
  allows you to decide which facts matter and which
  do not

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory in Comparative Politics
• Theory as a simplifying device an example
• Theory (Conceptual) Filter

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics
Another Useful Metaphor Theory as a Photographic
Lens
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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Theory as a Photographic Lens
• Basic lesson Different lenses (re theories)
  serve different purposes this may help explain
  why, in the social sciences, there are multiple,
  often competing theories

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Multiple Theories
• The existence of multiple theories raises some
  questions
• Are all theories equally valid? Are different
  theorieseven personal onesall equally good?

NO!
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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Some Problems in Bad Theories and Theorizing
• Many people
• theorize in an extremely superficial or
  arbitrary manner jump to conclusions ignore or
  dismiss facts that dont fit into their
  understanding of the world fail to acknowledge
  logical contradictions confuse observation or
  correlation with causation never (ever) think
  about the assumptions upon which their views are
  based or regard their theories or theorizing
  about the world as self-evidently true

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Some Problems in Bad Theories and Theorizing
• The basic problem can be summed up simply Many
  people operate on a modified version of
  Descartes famous dictum (I think therefore I
  am), by asserting
• I think, therefore Im right

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• An amended definition of theory
• Theory is a simplified representation of reality
  and a framework within which facts are not only
  selected, but also interpreted, organized, and
  fit together so that they create a coherent whole

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Introduction to Theory in Comparative Politics

• Key Points in Amended Definition
• Theory necessarily simplifies reality, but is not
  separate from reality
• Theory helps us to determine what facts are
  important, meaningful, relevant
• Theory guides our interpretation of the facts
  (What do the facts mean?)
• Theory tells us how to organize the facts--how do
  different facts relate to one another? Which are
  primary?
• Theory allows us to develop whole arguments