Course Description:
Beliefs, values, customs, symbols, rituals, as well as a host of other cultural practices and artefacts play an enormous role in our daily lives. Often, ideas about what make for a common culture –whether rightly or wrongly –influences how we treat our fellow citizens. Yet, we often overlook the role culture plays in shaping politics as well as how politics shapes culture. This course provides an introduction to methodological approaches to the analysis of culture in politics as well as a diverse set of readings that demonstrate the advantages of applying a cultural analysis. In examining studies that utilize cultural approaches to fundamental political issues, students should begin to reflect more critically on the way culture shapes their own political perspectives in ways that can both enhance and constrain their political outlook and engagement.
