Article Title

Post-Materialism and Foreign Policy – a First Cut

Authors

Edelgard E. Mahant, York University and University of Botswana

Abstract

The influence of political culture on foreign policy is a much-neglected topic. This article focuses on one aspect of political culture: the concept of post-materialism as developed by Inglehart. Using Canada and South Africa as case studies, the article determines the degree of post-materialism of these two countries’ political culture and then attempts to assess the extent to which the ideas of post-materialism have influenced the foreign policy of the two countries. The methodology is that of examining the ratifications of relevant UN conventions and the press releases of the foreign ministries of the two governments dealing with the subjects of gender equality, environmentalism and the goal of nuclear disarmament, three typical post-materialist causes. The article does not find a relationship between post-materialism and the foreign policy of Canada and South Africa.

Recommended Citation

Mahant, Edelgard E. (2015) "Post-Materialism and Foreign Policy – a First Cut," Southern African Journal of Policy and Development: Vol. 1: No. 2, Article 4.
Available at: https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/sajpd/vol1/iss2/4