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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: D. Long who wrote (39655)	8/25/2002 11:39:11 AM
From: JohnM	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

In short, CULTURE. Two thoughts, Derek. 1. "Culture" is one of the slippery terms in the social sciences. There was a time, surely during the 50s and 60s, perhaps into the 70s, in which there was a general consensus that it referred to some sort of wholistic belief systems. Now that consensus is no longer around. When the term is used, one needs to look at the way writers use it in their sentences. Some still employ that older definition, others throw adjectives in front of it--popular culture, media culture, elite culture, etc. Some are referring to themes, etc. 2. Using a religious category to refer to something called a "culture" raises some more issues. All religious groups have multiple theological interpretations for their basic texts, so one shouldn't simply take a "worst practice typifies" approach. Moreover, religious precepts have variable holds on populations--some are strong believers, some nominal, etc. Finally, the secularization that accompanies most forms of globalization has variable effects. In some instances, it undermines fundamentalist forms, in others it fosters reactionary responses. In this latter instance, witness the fears of women's equality from fundamentalist religious groups in this country. 3. One of the working assumptions in much of the social sciences right now is that populations that are abused within societies, contest the themes which their abusers justify their actions with. And usually the contesting is in terms that are familiar and believable to other members of the society. Thus power and justifications go hand in hand with contesting that power.