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Rethinking political culture: Counterinsurgency, democracy, and political identity in Guatemala
Abstract
This dissertation has two principle aims: to examine the political cultural context for counterinsurgency in Guatemala, and in the process try to revitalize the concept of political culture. I argue that counterinsurgency in Guatemala must be understood as a political project with a distinct cultural agenda, and not simply a military strategy to defeat a guerrilla movements. The goal of that project is the construction of a modern nation state which can more fully integrate the country's indigenous communities, establish the legitimacy of national political institutions, and weaken the influence of independent social and political movements. In other words, this is a project to win "hearts and minds." I analyze the historical context, the political and cultural goals of the military, and the other political cultural forces which it must confront. I examine the cultural significance of ethnicity, religion, popular political movements, and political violence, and conclude that the military has thus far fallen far short of realizing its political, as opposed to strictly military, goals. This case study provides a concrete context within which to examine in some depth the theoretical issues involved in the study of political culture. My intention is to point the discussion in new and fruitful directions. By re-examining the contribution of Max Weber and supplementing those ideas with discussions which have taken place among historians and anthropologists regarding cultural analysis, I critique the limitations of past uses of the concept of political culture and set forth the constitutive elements of an approach to cultural analysis with applications beyond Guatemala.
Subject Area
Political science
Recommended Citation
Belanger, Joseph Marc, "Rethinking political culture: Counterinsurgency, democracy, and political identity in Guatemala" (1993). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9316617.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9316617