POLS 140 : Comparative Politics Study Aid

Def: Broad term that refers to complex human organization, a collection of people bound by shared institutions that define how human relations should be conducted

Society: Broad term that refers to complex human organization, a collection of people, bound by shared institutions that define how human relations should be conducted.

Def: Emphasize a person's relation to other members of society

Ethnic Identity or Ethnicity: Emphasize a person's relation to other members of society Ethnic Identity:   A set of institutions that bind people through a common culture. Ex: Language, Religion, Geographic Location, Customs, Appearance, and History As these distinct attributions are institutionalized, they become signifiers of a group's shared identity. Ascription: Assigning of a particular quality at birth Ethnic group is characterized by a set of institutions that embody norms and standards of behavior. Single society can be broken up into numerous ethnic groups.

Nation: A group that desires self government, often through an independent state- is largely consistent from case to case and is inherently political

National Identity: An institution that binds people together through a common culture. Implies a demand for greater freedom through sovereignty--colony revolts. Involves a demand for equality Ex: Secessionist movement assertion----Elimination of unequal treatment

Nationalism: A pride in one's people and the belief that that they have a unique, sovereign political destiny

Citizenship: Individual's or group's relation to the state, those who are citizens swear allegiance to that state and the state in return is obligated to provide rights to individuals or members of the state. Duty to serve in the armed forces or pay taxes. Defined by their particular reason to one state rather than to one another. More inclusive or flexible concept than national or ethnic identity. Benefits: healthcare and education

Patriotism: Pride in one's state. Have pride in their political system and seek to defend and promote it. 

Ethnic Conflict: Conflict between ethnic groups that struggle to achieve certain political or economic goals at each other's expense. Increase its power by gaining greater control over existing political institutions like the state or government.

National Conflict: Seek to gain or prevent the other from gaining  sovereignty, clashing with one and another over issues of autonomy such as the quest to form an independent state. Violence: Common tool for using, bypassing, or destroying the coercive powers of the state.

Ethnic Heterogeneity: Number of ethnic groups and their degree of integration or polarization.

Political Attitudes: Describe the necessary pace and scope of change in the balance of freedom and equality. * Broken up into categories of reactionary, radical, liberal, conservative, and are on a spectrum from left to right.

Fundamentalism: An ideology that seeks to unite religion with the state, or rather, to make faith the sovereign authority- that is, to create a theocracy. 1. Not the same as religiosity, puritanism, or religious conservatism. 2. Not a premodern view

Culture: Content of the institutions that help define a society. * Providing norms and priorities that guide people as they organize their lives.   Political Culture: A society's norms for political identity.