Volume XIV – Number 2
Lawrence A. Howard
Abstract: There exists a modern controversy between Western Individualism and the new Soviet Person—an identity in which the notion of “I” is replaced with “we.” Individuals such as Adda Bozeman claim that Western and Soviet antagonisms are rooted in rigid mind systems known as political cultures. This article applies content analysis methodology to cultural treaties, concluded by six selected member states of the Helsinki accords, in order to test Bozeman’s claim. Specifically, the language of cultural treaties is examined to determine if the rhetoric of Western Individualism is unique to states with liberal political cultures, and if the New Soviet Citizen rhetoric is unique to socialist political cultures. The findings show that cultural stereotypes did not hold up across the six county’s cultural treatises, because there was a great degree of variance in the rhetoric used across the six countries. Consequently, it is clear that treaties are collective efforts subject to a mutual readjustment of language by the negotiating parties, and so the differences between contracting parties are obscured. Ultimately, this finding demonstrates that content analysis is an effective tool, when applied to treaties, and belies the notion that political cultures are rigid mind systems.
Key Words: Western Individualism, the New Soviet Person, Helsinki Accords, Content Analysis, Cultural Treaties, State Behavior, Political Culture.
