The relationship between politics and culture is often seen as a "chicken-and-egg" problem: each shapes and reinforces the other. However, those addressing political questions should start with the political as the primary framework through which culture can be guided to achieve political ends. Political decisions and institutions provide the foundation for developing and sustaining cultural norms and values.
Furthermore, the emerging culture is frequently influenced and reinforced by the political choices of those in control of socio-cultural-political institutions. This suggests that the political side has more leverage in shaping the cultural environment. By establishing laws, policies, and institutions, political actors play a decisive role in determining the trajectory of cultural development, which in turn helps maintain and legitimize the political order. Thus, while culture and politics are interdependent, political choices often have the upper hand in directing cultural outcomes.
If you were going to study this problem and figure out which side you think has the stronger role in shaping the relationship, what scholars and/or socio-political thinkers would you turn to?
The relationship between politics and culture is complex, no doubt. However, many scholars argue that politics often has a stronger influence on shaping culture. The works of Antonio Gramsci, Loius Althusser, and Ernest Gellner strongly argue that politics plays a leading role in shaping culture. They suggest that political institutions actively influence cultural outcomes. This is done to maintain and reinforce their power. Thinkers like Pierre Bourdieu and Michel Foucault recognize that politics and culture influence each other. However, they emphasize that political decisions often have a more decisive role in shaping culture. To sum up, while culture can challenge political authority, the balance of power typically favors politics as the stronger force in shaping cultural environments.
The chicken-egg problem of the political and the socio-cultural questions which shapes which: do cultural norms determine political institutions, or vice versa? Most theories now recognize co-evolution, where political structures and social values mutually inform and transform each other over time.
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