Upload
marybeth-burns
View
254
Download
1
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
FRANCE
Political Culture, Political Recruitment and Political Socialization
SOME RELEVANT HISTORY One of the oldest nation-states of Europe French Revolution began with the
establishment of a constitutional monarchy in 1791 (the First Republic)Three more constitutionsNapoleonRestoration of BourbonsHouse of OrleansParis Revolution in 1848
MORE: THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Second Republic (1848-1852)Universal male suffrageNapoleon IIIFranco Prussian War
Third Republic (1871)WWII deeply divided FranceCharles de Gaulle
Fourth Republic (1946-1958)24 governments in 12 years
Fifth Republic (1958 onward)
POLITICAL CULTURE: CONCEPTUAL REVIEW
Public attitudes toward politics and their role in the political system Parochial Subject Partipatory
Levels of political culture System Process Policy
FRENCH POLITICAL CULTURE: THEMES
“Enlightened” monarchs allowed relatively free through – as long as it remained abstract
Concept of being “French”unites
Specifics of what that means divides
“Burden of history” Versailles
SHAPE OF POLITICAL TRUST
Conflicting orientations arising from valuation of individualism and equality
Participation in politics initially seen as means of weakening strong government
Assertion of individualism sometimes led to anarchy
RELIGIOUS AND ANTI-RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS
Roman Catholics vs. Huguenots
Anti-clerical sub-culture
Church teaching less authoritative in Catholic sub-culture
OTHER RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS ANTIRELIGIOUS TRADITIONS French Jews “de-christianized”
& secular culture Revolution of
1789 Impact of World
War II Muslims
New immigation
DEFENSE AGAINST ANARCHY Place individuals who reflected he popular
will in power Individuals who reflect popular will use
government to bring about equality Allows for the accommodation to large role
for the bureaucracy
HISTORY AND THE PROCESS OF CHANGE Sudden change –
rather than gradual mutation have dominated critical moments in French history
Leads to conclusion that no change can be brought about except by major upheaval
Lead to skepticism about the possibility of meaningful change
BETWEEN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND THE FIFTH REPUBLIC RULES OF THE POLITICAL REGIME IN FRANCE WERE SATISFACTORY TO ONLY ONE SEGMENT OF THE POLITY - AND HOTLY CONTESTED BY OTHERS
FIFTH REPUBLIC Early years political
culture resembled the situation that prevailed between 1789 and 1958
Election of Francois Mitterrand to presidency (1981) aid to rest two hundred
years of hostility among French political elites
Attitudes and orientations of masses followed developments among the elites
POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION: FAMILY
Traditionally conservative Modifications to traditional patriarchal
structure Associations as tools of political socializations
POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION: EDUCATION Historic importance of baccalauret and lycee Changes in the Fifth Republic
700,000 graduates in 1945 6.1 million in1994
Universities 48% in higher education during 1990’s Comparable to rest of W. Europe
GRANDES ECOLE
Functions outside of regular system of universities
Highly selective- no increase in enrollment
Training ground of highly specialized elites
SOCIALIZATION AND MASS COMMUNICATION: PRINT MEDIA For much of 20th century major newspapers
were in the hands of business tycoons or political parties
Currently: most papers owned by business conglomerates
TELEVISION
State ownership from 1945 – 1981 Television and radio opened to private
sector in 1982 - a project of the Socialists
State television forced to provide the opposition with time to reply to the government
Only two of six non-cable channels owned by government
ELITE POLITICAL RECRUITMENT Grandes écoles
higher education establishments outside the mainstream framework of the public universities system.
selection criteria of grandes écoles rests mainly on competitive written and oral exams
Fifth Republic – more senior civil servants from the professionals class than during the Fourth Republic
GRANDES ÉCOLES CORPS Recruited from Ecole
Nationale d’Administration & Ecole Polytechnique
Elite political class numbers less than 20, 000
Grand Corps now important in recruitment of business elites
École Nationale d'administration
created in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle to democratize access to the senior civil service.
IMPORTANCE OF GENDER Low representation of
women among French political elites
Political advancement requires deep investment in parties Segolene Royal
Graduate of the ENA Member of the Council
of State Dearth of women’s
representation recognized but not addressed
OUTSIDERS HAVE EXTREME DIFFICULTY IN PENETRATING THE FRENCH POLITICAL AND BUSINESS ELITE