This accessible text presents an overview of the relevance of culture for politics. Culture figures prominently in the theories of the classics such as Marx, Durkheim and Weber. The cultural approach to politics has developed quickly and the concept of political culture has played a role in these developments.

Introductory Chapter: On Cultural Analysis of Politics Part 1: On the Methodology of Cultural Analysis 1. Cultural Enquiry: Scientific Objectivity and Ethical Neutrality 2. Cultural Studies: Subjectivism and `Verstehen¿ Part 2: Elements of Culture 3. Ethnicity 4. Religion 5. Tradition 6. Religion or Tradition: The Lack of Modernization in the Arab world Part 3: Research into Value-Orientations: Some Critiques 7. Methodology for the Enquiry into Value-Orientations 8. Gender and Homosexuality 9. Basic Value-Orientations 10. Social Capital: Identification of the Concept(s) 11. Ambiguity of Post-Materialism 12. What are Self-Expression or Emancipatory Values? Part 4: Exploration into New Values 13. Happiness or Life Satisfaction 14. Culture and Ecology 15. Globalization Values 16. Culture and Conflicts 17. Causes of Cultural Conflicts 18. New Aspects of the Attitudes towards Homosexuality and Gender