Interest matters: The cultural construction of rational choice(s).

Abstract

This dissertation examines the cultivation of political interests based on comparisons of the effects and influences of social interactions, cultural values and racial and gender identity in the United States and The Netherlands. The study contributes to the progressive convergence of rational choice and cultural theories based on the important influences that cultural effects have on the rational choice<italic>s</italic> of individuals. In order to examine the role of culture and contribute to the progression of the literature, this dissertation operationalizes cultural theory to explore the cultivation of a range of political interests. Based on cross-national research, the study proposes and investigates a range of interests that is culturally constructed and varies in predictable ways. Social/cultural interactions prime individuals to cultivate a predictable range of interests that influence political preferences. Quantitative and qualitative methods are implemented to examine these varying political interests and their influence on political preferences. Comparing the United States and The Netherlands, the dissertation illustrates and illuminates the role of culture in constructing political interests and preferences