1. If someone asked you to describe ‘who you are’ using three words, what would those three words be?

2. CHRISTIAN
CATHOLIC
MUSLIM
MOTHER
SIKH
FATHER
MALE
FEMALE
JAMAICAN
TURKISH
HISPANIC
LATIN AMERICAN
BLACK
CHINESE
KOREAN

3. The Study of Political Science
By the end of this lesson you are expected to explain the role of ideologies and belief systems.
You are expected to assess what politics means and how it impacts our lives.

4. What is politics? Politics is….

5. “who does what to whom” – Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870 – 1924)

6. “bloodless war” – Mao Zedong (1873-1976)

7. “who gets what, when, and how much in a society” – Harold Lasswell (1902-1978)

8. “the doctrine of the possible, the attainable” – Otto von Bismark (1815-1898)

9. Politics is the social act, which attempts to resolve the conflict between human needs and the realities of human society

10. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

11. The Dimensions of Politics (brainstorm session) What are the realities of human societies? What are we in conflict about? What causes us to disagree?

12. The Dimensions of Politics
Politics as Behaviour
Politics as Culture
Politics as Values
Politics as Ideology (to be covered)
Politics as Nation-Building (to be covered)

13. Politics as Behaviour
Political behaviour is a function of the relations humans have with their environment

14. Psychology
Personality, expectations and motivations help explain individual and group responses to environmental stimuli

15. Social Relations
Humans are bound by fundamental relations in families, businesses, churches, professional and leisure associations, etc.

16. Every political culture is unique!
Politics as Culture
Every political culture is unique!

17. Beliefs
Convictions / assertions that we each maintain that are based on fundamental assumptions about human behaviour

18. Customs
Conventional and accepted practices, ideas of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour

19. Expectations
Standard assertions about what people believe ought to happen in the political world

20. Institutions
Complex structures organized around a central decision-making activity or social need

21. Laws
norms sanctioned by government decree or legislation

22. Symbols
Things that represent something else

23. Politics as Values
Shared beliefs that provide standards for judging human thought and action
Lasswell lists several values that generate politics and are sought after by people in all societies

24. Power “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac” – Henry Kissinger
Power is the ability to do, act, or accomplish something
“Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac” – Henry Kissinger

25. Wealth
The level of economic status, purchasing power of the individual
How to divide the economic resources of a society

26. Health

27. Enlightenment
Education is a primary value in all societies

28. Employment
Work or employment is the basis of all cultures

29. Justice People want a system that is fair and impartial
Concept of “right” and “wrong”

30. Respect Domestically, respect for achievement and freedoms
Internationally, territorial integrity and the principle of non-intervention

31. Security The ability of a society to satisfy basic human needs
The ability of a country to maintain it’s independence and the non-interference of other countries

32. Essentially, politics is an activity through which contending interests and differences may be reconciled for the supposed advantage of society.

33. An example of political activity
The debate surrounding an issue such as abortion.
There are two main positions regarding abortion:
The life of the child (against)
The autonomy of women (for)
Laws, beliefs, values, opinions, etc. are generated, and there is conflict between those who agree with a position and those who don’t.

34. Political activity brings about: CONSERVATION or CHANGE The evaluation of this is the basis of our judgement, and the foundation of all future political activity.