Cultural Theory (Political Cultures Series) [Paperback]

Michael Thompson (Author), Richard J. Ellis (Author), Aaron Wildavsky (Author), Trustee" Mary "Wildavsky (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813378648 | ISBN-13: 978-0813378640 | Publication Date: August 21, 1990 | Edition: 1st

Why do people want what they want? Why does one person see the world as a place to control, while another feels controlled by the world? A useful theory of culture, the authors contend, should start with these questions, and the answers, given different historical conditions, should apply equally well to people of all times, places, and walks of life.Taking their cue from the pioneering work of anthropologist Mary Douglas, the authors of Cultural Theory have created a typology of five ways of life—egalitarianism, fatalism, individualism, hierarchy, and autonomy—to serve as an analytic tool in examining people, culture, and politics. They then show how cultural theorists can develop large numbers of falsifiable propositions.Drawing on parables, poetry, case studies, fiction, and the Great Books, the authors illustrate how cultural biases and social relationships interact in particular ways to yield life patterns that are viable, sustainable, and ultimately, changeable under certain conditions. Figures throughout the book show the dynamic quality of these ways of life and specifically illustrate the role of surprise in effecting small- and large-scale change.The authors compare Cultural Theory with the thought of master social theorists from Montesquieu to Stinchcombe and then reanalyze the classic works in the political culture tradition from Almond and Verba to Pye. Demonstrating that there is more to social life than hierarchy and individualism, the authors offer evidence from earlier studies showing that the addition of egalitarianism and fatalism facilitates cross-national comparisons.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Thompson is director of the Musgrave Institute in London and honorary research fellow at the Department of Geography at University College London. Richard Ellis is assistant professor of political science at Willamette University. The late Aaron Wildavsky was professor of political science and public policy and a member of the Survey Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Michael Thompson is director of the Musgrave Institute in London and honorary research fellow at the Department of Geography at University College London. Richard Ellis is assistant professor of political science at Willamette University. The late Aaron Wildavsky was professor of political science and public policy and a member of the Survey Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Michael Thompson is director of the Musgrave Institute in London and honorary research fellow at the Department of Geography at University College London. Richard Ellis is assistant professor of political science at Willamette University. The late Aaron Wildavsky was professor of political science and public policy and a member of the Survey Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley. Michael Thompson is director of the Musgrave Institute in London and honorary research fellow at the Department of Geography at University College London. Richard Ellis is assistant professor of political science at Willamette University. The late Aaron Wildavsky was professor of political science and public policy and a member of the Survey Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley.

Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press; 1st edition (August 21, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813378648
• ISBN-13: 978-0813378640
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,206,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Leap Forward in Understanding the Human Condition, August 5, 2000

By 

Charles F. Hawkins - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cultural Theory (Political Cultures Series) (Paperback)

"Theory," wrote philosopher George Santayana, "helps us to bear our ignorance of fact." Theory illuminates and instructs, it is a lens through which one may look forward while also reflecting on the past. Theory lets us comprehend rather than simply to apprehend.

In "Cultural Theory," Michael Thompson, Richard Ellis and the late Aaron Wildavsky have taken a measurable step forward in understanding sociocultural viability. They do not argue one or the other competiting views of culture--i.e., mental products (values, beliefs, norms, ideologies) vice the total way of life of a people. They focus on three areas: cultural biases, social relations, and ways of life. The result is a "grid-group" typology, which is at the heart of cultural theory.

"Group" refers to the extent to which an individual is incorporated into well defined units. "Grid" is the degree to which an individual's life is circumscribed by externally imposed perscriptions. These two dimensions of sociality are used to show the relationship between five "ways of life" of people: hierarchy (strong group/strong grid), egalitarianism (strong group/weak grid), individualism (weak group/weak grid), fatalism (weak group/strong grid), and autonomy (null group/null grid). The authors defend why these five ways of life are the only viable ones.

"The causal mechanism driving cultural theory's predictions of who will want what, when and why," the authors write, "is that as people organize so they will behave." It is the combination of the experience of well defined social units (group) and the pervasiveness of rules which relate one person to another on an ego-centered basis (grid) that leads people who organize themselves in one of the viable ways of life to seek the objectives they do.

"Cultural Theory" is not a quick read, nor should it be, and it is not a work that most people will want to tackle, much less to read and wax philosophic. But for those who are interested in human factors--the "soft factors" in military models and simulations, for example--"Cultural Theory" offers a portal of understanding that is indispensable to further analysis.

One possible application of cultural theory is to apply its constructs as a framework to understand the frictions and conflicts between different groups in troubled states--places where peacekeepers, the military and aid workers are likely to be sent, and where a checklist to help organize operations to mitigate, respond and recover from social disintegration would be helpful to senior leaders. Thus it is possible that cultural theory could provide a starting point for real world solutions to resolving conflict.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, July 14, 2006

By 

Relative Determinist (Troy, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cultural Theory (Political Cultures Series) (Paperback)

As an interdisciplinary science and technology studies graduate student, I find this book indispensible for investigations into policy, risk, scientific practice, formation of preferences, the role of surprise in everyday life, and any other social science research. If you think social anthropologist Mary Douglas has worthwhile points in any of her numerous works, this book is for you. If you're into Durkheim, Weber, and/or Marx, this book is for you. In short, if you're reading this review, this book is for you.