POLITICAL CHANGE AND CULTURAL CHANGE: A CAUSAL OR INTERACTIVE RELATIONSHIP?
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Abstract
This article explores the complex relationship between cultural change and political change, aiming to answer a central question: Does cultural change precede and cause political change, or is the relationship between the two interactive and mutually influential? The article begins with the hypothesis that culture and politics are intertwined domains, where cultural values, beliefs, and symbols form an underlying structure for political behavior, while political decisions and public policies can, in turn, reshape the cultural framework of society.
The article adopts an analytical and theoretical approach, reviewing historical and contemporary examples that illustrate how cultural transformations—such as the rise of human rights discourse or the growth of civic awareness—have paved the way for major political shifts, such as democratic transitions. Conversely, it also highlights how political changes (e.g., decolonization or legal reforms) have led to significant cultural shifts.
The article concludes that the relationship between cultural and political change is neither linear nor simplistic, but rather interactive and complex, influenced by local and global contexts as well as the sociopolitical timeline. Therefore, a deep understanding of societal change processes requires a careful study of how culture and politics affect one another.
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