Humanities 2319

American Minorities:  Political Culture in A Global Environment

Activity for Lecture 1

Please read the PDF file that is located in Bulletin Board in the files area called
Political Culture - From Civic Culture to Mass Culture by John Street. (you must be logged into Yahoo to access this)

 

 

 

 

You will need to address the following questions:

1.  Unlike your instructor who views, as the author, that political culture operates within a political system as both 'catalyst and fertilizer', Almond and Verba take a different approach---how do they view it?

2.  What ideas does Barry express that Almond and Verba's view is grounded in?

3. There are weaknesses in Almond and Verba's work according to some critics.  What problems exist respecting the definition of political culture? It's explanatory power?  It's explanation?

4.  With which do you agree?

 5.  Street refers to the essay "Culture is Ordinary" .  Please read this excerpt.  Did you notice that Williams repeatedly stated culture is ordinary? What does Williams mean by "cultures is ordinary?"

6  What is nationalism?  In a normative sense, can nationalism be good and bad?  Why do you think this is the case? Provide an example of your explanation from the context of America.

7.  What is the role of  intellectuals in the formation/interpretation of political culture? 

 

Please submit your answers by the deadline to profkaupert@gmail.com