Politics - Nations and Society

Lecture 4

Society definition.

Complex human organizations, a collection of people bound by shared institutions that define how human relations should be conducted.

Social identity definition.

A sense of who a person is based on membership in social groups.

Ethnic identity definiton.

It is a social identity, not a political one. It is unique to a group of people, as it is a set of institutions that bind people together though a common culture. These institutions can be language, religion, geographical location, customs, appearance, and history.

Ascription definition.

The assigning of a particular quality at birth, o quality about oneself that one does not choose.

Nation definition.

A group that desires sovereignty, often through an independent state. It is largely consistent from case to case. It is inherently political.

Nationalism definition.

A pride in one’s people and the belief that they have a unique, sovereign political destiny.

Citizenship definition.

An individual’s or group’s relation to the state. They swear allegiance to the state. It conveys obligations like the duty to serve or paying taxes.

It is developed by states and accepted and rejected by individuals.

True or false: citizenship guarantees patriotism.

False: it does not.

Patriotism definition.

Pride in one’s state, in their political system and they see to defend and promote it.

Nation-State definition.

A sovereign state encompassing one dominant nation that claims to embody and represent.

What was the original nation-state?

France. It emerged during the Napoleonic era.

Imagined communities definition.

A community is imagined, you identify yourself with a certain group. We separate ourselves from other through arbitrary structures.

They became powerful as trade and urbanization developed in the 18th century.

Ethnic conflict definition.

Conflict between ethnic groups that struggle to achieve certain political or economic goals at each other’s expende in the hopes to increase ita power by gaining greater control over existing political institutions.

National conflict definition.

Seek to gain or prevent others from gaining sovereignty, clashing with one another over issues of autonomy. Violence is a common tool.

Why do national conflicts occur?

• Social explanations: ethnic heterogeneity, degrees of integration vs. polatization.

• Economic explanations: the struggle for resources, economic inequalities.

• Political explanations: state and regime → state capacity and autonomy, democracy vs. non-democratic governments.

What are the reasons for conflict in Africa?

• Ethnic heterogeneity and the influence of natural resources.

• The borders of countries were drawn without regards for major ethnic divisions → legacy of colonialism.

Political attitudes definition.

They are concered with the speed of political change and the methods used to achieve it.

Particularistic definition:

Specific context of political change in a given political unit, such as a city, a country or the EU.

What are the political attitudes of the left?

Radicals and liberals.

What are the political attitudes of the right?

Conservatives and reactionaries.

Radicals - characteristics.

• Believe old institutions are broken and must be replaced.

• Favour dramatic change.

• Dramatic, revolutionary change of the existing.

• More inclined to favour violence as a necessary or unavooidable part of politics.

Liberals - characteristics.

• Favour gradual, evolutionary change.

• Believe that existing institutions can create positive changes.

• For example, US democrats.

Conservatives - characteristics.

• Traditions that work should be respected.

• Fear change will have unintended effects.

• View changes as disruptive and leading to unforseen outcomes.

• Believe change will create more problems than it solves.

• For example, Germany’s Christian Democrats.

Reactionaries - characteristics.

• View current order as fundamentally unacceptable.

• Seek to return to “older” systems/restore political, social and economic institutions.

• For example, MAGA and Neo-Nazis.

Similarities between radicals and reactionaries.

They both believe in dramatic chage, but in different directions (bc the closer one moves to the extremes, the closer the attitudes become).

Both are open to the idea of violence to achieve this.

Political ideology definition.

Basic values an individual holds regarding the fundamental goals of politics in respect to freedom and equality. There is a universal belief that there is one ideal way to balance freedom and equality.

In summary: which political ideology values individual freedom?

Liberalism

In summary: which political ideology values economic equality?

Communism.

In summary: which political ideology values a balance between freedom and equality?

Social democracy/socialism.

In summary: which political ideology values an advancement of a superior group or race?

Fascism.

In summary: which political ideology values the elimination of state power?

Anarchism.

Liberalism - characteristics.

• Limits state’s role in politics, society, and economy.

• Politics should seek to create the maximum degree of liberty for all people.

• People should pursue their own interest.

• Its meaning varies: in the US it means more progressive.

• Inspires liberal democracies.

What is the meaning of liberalism in terms of political attitudes?

Favouring slow, evolutionary change.

What is the meaning of liberalism in terms of political ideology (outside NA)?

Favouring free markets and individualism, accepting greater inequality.

What is the meaning of liberalism in terms of political ideology in NA?

Favouring a greater state role in limiting inequality, many outside the region would call this ideology “social democracy”

What is the meaning of liberalism in terms of political-economic system?

System favouring a limited state role in the economy.

Communism - characteristics.

• Believe that liberal democracy is bourgeois democracy.

• They advocate for state control over all resources to produce true economic equality at the expense of individual freedom.

• Individual liberties must give way to the needs of society as a whole, creating what they believe is true democracy.

• Rejects the idea that personal freedom will ensure prosperity for the majority.

• Believes that in a liberal society a group will rule over others.

Social democracy - characteristics.

• Accepts role for private ownership and market forces while maintaining an emphais on economic quality.

• Balances freedom and equality.

  • Strong markets and role for private ownership.

  • Strong state to regulate industry and engage in social spending.

• Accepts that equality sometimes requires limitations on freedom: such as regulation and taxation.

• Limits freedom more than liberalism does, through taxation and regulation.

• Individual liberty as complementary to equality.

Why did the US resist social democracy?

The founding ideals emphisised individual liberty over state power, which creates sceptisism towards state-supported equality.

Emphasis on individualism has weakened working-class solidarity needed for the formation of a social democratic party.

Fascism - characteristics.

• Rejects the ideas of freedom and equality.

• Believes in strict social hierarchies and inherent inequalities.

  • Explicitly racist or ethnocentric.

• High degree of state autonomy and capacity: absolute control over sociey and economy.

• Strives for one-man rule by dictator in one-party state.

Anarchism - characteristics.

• Views state as a threat to freedom and equality.

• Believes eliminating the state and private property would achieve both freedom and equality.

• It is not chaos.

  • Aims to replace this by self-government of wokers and peasants and collective ownership.

  • Personal feedom and social equality for all.

What revolution was inspired by anarchism?

The Spanish Revolution in 1936.

Which political attitude is normally associated with liberalism?

Conservative.

Which political attitude is normally associated with communism?

Radical.

Which political attitude is normally associated with social democracy?

Liberal.

Which political attitude is normally associated with fascism?

Reactionary.

Which political attitude is normally associated with anarchism?

Radical.

Why has the rejection of secularism happen in the last few decades?

Secular ideologies struggle with economic challenges, demographic shifts and social changes. Secularism is weakly institutionalized in some countries.

Fundamentalism definition.

• It is an ideology that seeks to male faith the sovereign authority.

• A belief that seeks to unite religioni and state → create a theocracy.

• Modern phenomena resulting from spiritual malaise.

  • Can be radical, reactionary, or a combination.

Political culture definition.

Society’s norms for political activity. It is a determining factor in what ideologies will dominate a country’s political regime. It is unique to a given country or group. It is distinct from political attitudes and ideologies.