Week 6

Associations and Democracy 1

Lipset et al.

• ITU: International Union of Typesetters

  • Democratic system

• Mass society: a society without a multitude of organizations independent of state power has high dictatorial and revolutionary potential

  • Maintains:

    • Oligarchy

• Men who are most involved in formal/informal relationships with other printers are more likely to be active and interested in union politics

• Active associationism = linked with an increase in knowledge, interest, and involvement in union politics

• Liberals are more motivated to participate in political activities

• Characteristics

  • Status: highly educated but blue-collared workers → ambiguous

    • Become friends with other printers because can’t find people with similar status

  • Job satisfaction: really liked their jobs

    • Spend more time with co-workers

  • Substitute system: substitutes are hired each day, if don’t have work they socialize together

    • More time unemployed = more active in the occupational community

  • Working hours: mostly on weekends and at night

    • Cannot hang out with other people so they hang out with each other

    • Night workers = more active in associations

Associations and Democracy 2

Berman

• Weimar Germany

  • High levels of associationism

  • Ineffective government

    → Fragmented German society instead of unifying it

    → Facilitated Hitler’s rise to power

    → Weakened democracy

• The middle class suffered greatly from the Great Depression and became frustrated with the government’s failures

• Nazis recruited highly activists individuals and exploited their skills to expand the party’s appeal and consolidate its power

  • They helped to design propaganda + political events

• Nazis infiltrated existing associations to eliminate potential opponents

• Flourishing civil society doesn’t lead to liberal democracy

• The political context is important

Week 7

Religion and Democracy

Woodberry

• Protestantism influenced the rise of stable democracy around the world through missionaries

  • Spread religious liberty

  • Mass education

    • For literacy

    • Women + men

  • Mass printing + newspapers

  • Voluntary organizations + associations

    • Promoted civil society

  • Colonial reforms

• It is important to consider religious beliefs because they profoundly shape society