Research Activities

Research Projects 2025

Rethinking the Concept of Political Culture

Outline

The purpose of this project is to review the wide range of previous research on “political culture”, a topic that has been important in comparative politics for many years, and to rethink the concept of political culture with a particular focus on politics in developing regions. Looking at various political science texts in recent years, it seems that the subject of political culture is no longer as important as it used to be as a distinct research topic. By returning to the fundamental questions of what political culture is, how it should be understood, and what the differences are between culture and related or adjacent concepts (such as formal/informal institutions, social norms, and values), this project aims to consider the applicability and use of the concept of political culture in actual political analysis. Taking into account the current situation where various themes that were once discussed in political culture studies are now discussed in terms of political consciousness and ideology in political behavior, as well as in discussions of nationalism and multiculturalism, and social capital theory, and the various problems that traditional political culture studies and the concept of political culture have, this research will serve as a basis for rethinking the unique significance of the concept of political culture.

Period

April 2025 - March 2026

Members
Role Member
[ Organizer ] Miura, Kota
[ Co-researcher ] Imai, Kohei
[ Co-researcher ] Doi, Kaito
[ Co-researcher ] Minato, Kazuki
[ Co-researcher ] Uetani, Naokatsu
[ Co-researcher ] Aminaka, Akiyo

*Affiliations are as of April 2025.

Expected Outcome
  • Basic theory building project report