This course is a survey of theories that take “culture” seriously and regard it as a determining factor in the shaping of political phenomena. These are theories that emphasize the relevance of shared beliefs, ideologies, values or behavior patterns for making sense of political processes, events and institutions . The course draws on philosophical as well as empirical literature in this field. Course readings include works by Herder, Marx, Weber, Geertz, Almond, Putnam and Inglehart, among others