MONGOLIAN POLITICAL CULTURE: TRADITION & MODERNITY. pdf

1 2 POLITICAL CULTURE IN MONGOLIA: TRADITION AND MODERNITY1 Baasansuren D., Khatanbold O., Khishigdavaa A (Mongolian Academy of Sciences) Abstract Political culture in Mongolia has an ancient and historical tradition. Mongolian political culture has been changing in the past and present time. Mongolians, we are the people with rich traditions of the stateship. Tribalism has created by humanity was organized and coordinated by the brotherhood, relatives and the inhabitants of the homeland, and thus became a stateship under the auspices of the forces of weakness and extraterrestrials. A Mongolian has rationally and peace-loving attitudes towards any circumstances, and their stance to the stateship approached to the values of solidarity and morality. Thinking of the stateship of Mongolians is orginiated from the source of the nomadic thinking, ideology, coexistence and customs. For instance, the concept of the world of Mongols is dedicated to an essential part of the traditional concept of statehood with related to spatial concepts through the worship of their forefathers, the homeland, the mountains, the grasslands, and the ancestors. Our article concludes with two mayor approaches (i) to reviewing that research of theoretical and methodological perspectives in the political culture in Mongolia, and (ii) Mongolian traditional features and modern process or tendency of the political culture and its changes in the Mongolian political sciences. Keywords: political culture, modern Mongolia, research analysis, modernity and tradition, process, democracy and democratic development etc., Introduction A democracy has been growing in the present society in Mongolia that is about becoming as a social phenomenon, and continuity of our past history such characterized by national identity and unique features. Mongolians, we are the people with rich traditions of the stateship. Tribalism has created by humanity was organized and coordinated by the brotherhood, relatives and the inhabitants of the homeland, and thus became a stateship under the auspices of the forces of weakness and extraterrestrials. A Mongolian has rationally and peace-loving attitudes towards any circumstances, and their stance to the stateship approached to the values of solidarity and morality. Thinking of the stateship of Mongolians is orginiated from the source of the nomadic thinking, ideology, co-existence and customs. For instance, the concept of the world of Mongols is dedicated to an essential part of the This article was published on the papers collection (pp. 85-92) of the 10th International Conference on East Asian Studies named after A New stage of east Asia in the 21 st Century such as organized by the National University of Mongolia. 2018 – 500 p. ISBN: 978-99978-58-62-7 1  D.Baasansuren (Ph.D), Head of Department of Political Science and Legal Studies, O.Khatanbold (Ph.D), Senior academic researcher/Academic secretary of the Institute of Philosophy, A.Khishigdavaa, Ph.Candidate, Academic researcher from the Department of Political and Legal Studies at the Institute of Philosophy, Mongolian Academy of Sciences. 3 traditional concept of statehood 1 with related to spatial concepts through the worship of their forefathers, the homeland, the mountains, the grasslands, and the ancestors. As one communist country after another in Asia suddenly reconsidered Marxism-Leninism s superiority and, ultimately, its failings, the nations in the Soviet bloc were caught by surprise. Mongolia made a transition to democracy in 1990s. Almost two decades have already passed since the outbreak of Democratic Revolution in 1990. However, trust in democratic consolidation has been seriously damaged among Mongolian citizens since that time.2 A democracy has been growing in the present society in Mongolia that is about becoming as a social phenomenon, and continuity of our past history such characterized by national identity and unique features. Mongolians, we are the people with rich traditions of the state-ship. Tribalism has created by humanity was organized and coordinated by the brotherhood, relatives and the inhabitants of the homeland, and thus became a state-ship under the auspices of the forces of weakness and extraterrestrials. A Mongolian has rationally and peace-loving attitudes towards any circumstances, and their stance to the state-ship approached to the values of solidarity and morality. Thinking of the state-ship of Mongolians is orginiated from the source of the nomadic thinking, ideology, co-existence and customs. For instance, the concept of the world of Mongols is dedicated to an essential part of the traditional concept of statehood3 with related to spatial concepts through the worship of their forefathers, the homeland, the mountains, the grasslands, and the ancestors. We guess now many more democratic events were to transpire by the date of its competition. From their different perspectives as historians, sociologists, political scientist, scholars and economists, the contributions to the newly society of transitions to the democracy in Eastern Europe and Soviet bloc, such aborted movement toward freedom and voice of speech in the closed society under the soviet bloc countries.4 On the other hand, one of the crucial point of agreement from that mentioned perspectives is that communism as an alternative social order has failed miserably and is discredited, even though a few faltering strongholds remain. Different views are offered about why the collapse of Leninism was not anticipated Dovchin Yo., Political studies. Ed. Sodnom Sh. National University of Mongolia. Ekimoto publishing Co., Ltd. UB., 2002. p 127. 2 Khatanbold O. Democracy in Mongolia: quality and assessments of democratic governance. Joint book chapter. Democratic consolidation in Mongolia. IPSL, MAS. UB, 2011. p. 11 3 Dovchin Yo. Political studies. UB, 2002. p. 127 4 Margaret L. Nugent. From Leninism to Freedom: The challenges of Democratization. Edited by Margaret L. Nugent. Westview Press. Boulder, San-Francisco, Oxford. 1992. p. 1 1 4 by scholars, which historical foundations and social institutions are necessary for the success of transitions to democracy and market-oriented economies, and how to assess the strength of civil society in these emerging democracies. 1 Additionally, until just before the decade of the 1980s, however the failings of Marxism-Leninism and the superiority of democracy and the market system were not always that obvious. Whatever our recurring questions, they were suddenly answered by what can only be called the near simultaneous volcanic eruption in what had been assumed to be essentially quiescent Marxist-Leninist world. To understand the reasons for the unraveling of the Communist world, it is necessary to retrace the evolution of the Communist movement. In many event, the dictatorship of the proletariat or rather the communist parties in the bloc countries with its intellectuals, seemed to be the perfect vehicle for mobilizing capital and labor and overseeing the transformation of a backward agrarian and agricultural country into a modern industrialized society. Such an approach however proved to be very costly. Thus, since in communist countries the capitalists were removed, the Communist parties had to implement industrialization. Because these countries lacked facilitating economic and political institutions such as a middle class with independent incomes, guilds and institutional constraints on unlimited power, though, their transformations were accompanied by social, structural and political regimentation and inherent abuses which hindered their economic as well as political modernization.2 Because, in the middle of 1980s, the USSR, which led the global socialist system, recognized a crisis of the system and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev announced the perestroika reforms. This attempt to save the system failed, because communist ideology contracted the fundamental interests of human beings and did not accept principle of human rights, freedom and private property. 3 In 5, the Soviet Union also began to break out Stalin s swaddling clothes, but unlike China, its break was in the political rather than the economic sphere. 4 The challenge began with the appointee of Mikhail Gorbachev 5 as a Ibid, pp. 2-3 Marshall and Merle Goldman. To Leninism and back. From Leninism to Freedom: The challenges of Democratization. Edited by Margaret L. Nugent. Westview Press. Boulder, San-Francisco, Oxford. 1992. p. 11 3 Amarsanaa S. How democracy grew in Mongolia: first ten years (1990-2000). Zorig Foundation. International Republican Institute. UB, 2016. p. 11 4 Marshall and Merle Goldman. To Leninism and back. From Leninism to Freedom: The challenges of Democratization. Edited by Margaret L. Nugent. Westview Press. Boulder, San-Francisco, Oxford. 1992. p. 10 5 Michail Gorbachev. Alles zu Seiner Zeit. Translated (in Mongolian) by Baatar Ch. Hoffmann und Campe Verlag. 2013. pp. 316-317 1 2 5 General Secretary in March 1985, but once underway, the movement spread relatively quickly to Eastern Europe. By 1991, virtually every country of Europe, as well as several of the republics in the Soviet Union, had swept their Communist parties and governments from power. Even before that time, movements for change and public uprising had occurred in several socialist countries since 5 s but were suppressed each time by USSR s military intervention. By 1989, peaceful movements against the system succeeded in Poland, Czechoslovakia, East Germany and Bulgaria whereas the communist regime in Romania fell in the course of bloody confrontation.1 Whereas, the historical process of Mongolian democratic movements has encouraged by Soviet perestroika , representatives of underground political groups, such as younger generation The New Generation formed and The Globe and began to criticize the existing communist system, that initiated by 1988-1989. But the perestroika has shown that restructuring reflects on people thinking, social cognition, and the transformation that could not be make the whole community movement in the forward.2 (i) Reviewing that research of theoretical and methodological perspectives in the political culture in Mongolia The Mongolian democratic revolution of 1990, colloquially referred to as the Democratic Revolution of the Year of the White Horse saw Mongolia join into a group of countries that nearly simultaneously pursued a democratic development path. Since its democratic transition in 1990s, Mongolia has undergone number of reforms such as political, economic and social reforms, which were relatively silent and stable reforms that formed a good sample of democratic development. This success was one of the most powerful evidence that not every developing country in Asia should implement the reform both in political and social fields as it was realized in many other countries. However, being a democratic country is not only based on the adoption of democratic views and principles. Even in our society, freedom and democratic principles are the most important value to be proud of; it is still required to improve the implementation mechanisms and methods for promoting democratic culture nationwide. Over the last 28 years, Mongolians have engaged in a complex and difficult twin transition, where radical political and economic reforms were implemented instantaneously. It was 1 Amarsanaa S. How democracy grew in Mongolia: first ten years (1990-2000). Zorig Foundation. International Republican Institute. UB, 2016. p. 11 2 Boldbaatar J. Historical studies on Perestroika in Mongolia: History in Politics (early 1980s to 1992). Ed. DashYondon B, Institute of History and Archeology, MAS. UB, 2017. p. 246 6 not easily path, but in the world, was able to reach the level of middle-income countries and secure for its people universal principles of freedom and human rights.1 Since 1990, people's perceptions of political activism, democracy, human rights, freedom and justice have begun to become slanting behaviors in some form of social psychology and consciousness, in accordance with considered as influenced by some way of political cultural changes and reform. The aspiration to approaching to problems with a pluralistic position in regards that purpose to creating a fair competition for politics. In contribution to the development of formation in the social political culture in accordance with a newly establishment process of new state facilities, political parties, party systems, civil society organizations and the mass media. The role of political culture has influenced on the citizens political position, orientation, values, evaluability and attitudes in appropriately clarifying as. While Mongolia is in its democratic development phases, a new generation of youth that has no decent knowledge or experiences about previous society has now grown up and reached at the age of elections. They constitute 40 percent of total population of Mongolia. Due to population window phase, the roles and responsibilities of youth in current society tend to be more increased. In last three decades, information technologies tend to have a more impact on daily life, socialization process and social participation of youth than traditional social factors. Accordingly, nature of characteristics of issues and challenges faced by youth are also different and changed. In order to promote the development of democratic society in Mongolia, it has a paramount importance to study and explore current state of youth understanding, concept and tendency toward democracy and political participation and new instrumental approaches of political culture. The contribution of the following features of state, political parties, mass media, electoral systems, scientific and educational institutions, teachers and instructors are performed as a most important role in the formation of political culture. The process of formation of our political culture is confronting slow and difficult way, and we need to take concrete steps to clarifying those social causes and factors in negatively affects to the political culture. The breathing space of a spiritual dimension in the society has required to fill the scientific knowledge that should be a pillar of concept to the growth of development. A Political culture is associated with beliefs, customs, Amarsanaa S. How democracy grew in Mongolia: first ten years (1990-2000). Zorig Foundation. International Republican Institute. UB, 2016. p. 11 1 7 and traditional thinking in the mind of the community, and its change is being proceeded slowly. One of the fundamental conditions for a sustainability of the democratic societies is the creation of a dominant style of active participation in the political culture and styles. The state of political party, electoral systems, citizens political education, consciousness, culture and legal environment are crucial role to putting the political system in the right direction. In the process of creating of the integrated political culture is based on the nationalism and national unique features regards to establishing a society that will be effective in promoting country-wide prosperity and sustainability. The political culture in Mongolia distinguishes itself from the settlement and cultivation of cultures in connection with the peculiar features of the oriental traditions and nomadic culture. 1 The political consciousness of the citizens is inherent with national tradition, civilization, traditional habits, ethics and rule of state. Our ancestors standpoints of bless the state hymn and state bossed and salient custom such respecting to the stateship have traditionally been conformed to the values and orientations of our country. While the Mongolian nationals have been relinquished centuries to centuries in the history, that state was an instrumental to protect and forgiving to promotion to be a source of compassion rather than a coercive force, and that the state should be strong and centralized. The concept of tradition (conventionalism) encompass that idea of preserving and transmiting something. Tradition is characterized by the specific cultural features ( such as history, artifacts and philology), as well as the widespread of ideological concepts of a wide range of countries, nations, ethnicity, and within the framework of the widespread of societies (science, religion, art and politics) are became apparent to typically specifics. In accordance with values and meaning of significances, the tradition is a system of norms and customs that constitutes a significant part of the classic heritage of society, culture and thought. It is a mechanism to transmitting and preserving for any action (technology) in practice of skills, method and style in real life, and it has responsibility to connect with past and present. (ii) Traditional features and modern process or tendency of the political culture and its changes in the Mongolian political sciences. Political culture is formed over decades and centuries. It is the result of the knowledge of objective historical and socio-political processes. Therefore, an analysis 1 National University of Mongolia. Politiology. UB., .№ 8 (50) p 25. of the specifics of Mongolia s political culture is impossible without an analysis of its genesis, formation, dynamics of internal differences and integrity. The term of political culture appeared in the works of the German philosopher Gerder I, in the 18th century. American scientists for T.Almond, S.Verba, L.Pai were also made an important contribution to the development of the concept of political culture.1 Western researchers considered as political culture is an objective indicator of the development of democracy. It defined as a system of values deeply rooted in the minds of motivations and attitudes, and attitudes that regulate people's behavior in situations relevant to politics .2 Therefore, political culture is required as an integral part of a common culture, a cumulative indicator of political experience, a level of political knowledge and feelings, patterns of behavior and functioning of political subjects, and an integral characteristic of the political way of life in the country, class, nation, and social group of individuals. One of the most effective ways of investigating the formation of political culture is in our view of the historical method. Each nation as an integral historical community is at the same time the main subject of the historical process. Therefore, this method will allow us to gather that complete information about the construction, genesis and dynamics of the formation of the political culture of Mongolia. Political culture determines that civilization and approach of voters, and political process and institutions defined as an attitude. Therefore, as mentioned above, it is no accident that political culture is considered a system of values deeply rooted in the minds of motivations, and attitudes that regulates people's behavior in situations relevant to politics. The peculiarity of political culture does not constitute a policy or a political process, but it s rather an awareness and explanation. In the political sphere, not only the actual actions and measures of the state, but also how they are evaluated and perceived, in what context are submitted, become an important. Political culture can be seen as an intermediary between the political world, and the environment that ensures interaction between areas of social relations, cultural norms and stereotypes and political processes. Political culture as a part of the spiritual culture of the people and it includes in those elements of the latter that are associated with socio-political institutions and political processes. It influences the forms, functioning and development of state, 1 2 Almond G., Verba S. The Civic Culture Revisited. Boston. Little Brown. 1980. Smorgunov L.B., Political profession in Russia in a comparative dimension. Moscow. 1997. 9 political institutions, sets the direction for the political process, and that determines the political behavior of the broad masses. Political culture has its own constituent elements, which express its essence. In particular, it has elements of expressing historical and national features of political culture, distinct from other nations and allowing to take a worthy place in the common civilization of mankind. Foremostly, the religion of the people, religion, national traditions, language, culture, literature, the peculiarities of national thinking, mentality, valued system, as well as political activity and participation, political behavior and psychology, which tend to change in the course of the historical process as intended. Therefore, political culture includes in the constituent elements that have been formed for hundreds of years, decades and generations. This is primarily political knowledge, political education and consciousness, which is required as methods of political thinking, as well as those are political feelings, traditions, values, ideals, beliefs, common cultural orientations, relation to power and political phenomena. Moreover, political culture has behavioral elements such as political attitudes, types, forms, styles, patterns of socio-political activity and political behavior. All those mentioned elements are regulated by the socio-economic, national culture, socio-historical and other long-term factors. They are characterized by the relative stability, vitality and constancy as well. It should be noted that the political culture in Mongolia required as the importance of religion, mythology, traditions in the spiritual realm, emotional and sensual attitudes to politics are strong. It can be said that the political orientation towards that the unity of the nation and a strong state has defineds as the political culture in the same way that well-defined uniques of the nomadic culture for Mongols throughout the centuries. Social phenomena are in fact the historical result of previous actions and that has requisited by interconnection of times . The current ongoing changes in Mongolia is having their prerequisites in the historical past of our country and invetibly traditions of our people. The Mongolian people have a rich historical tradition of worshipping the statehood, in dues to traditionally respect for the state. Inherent property of the Mongols relates to life's problems with thie usual calmness for nomads, that also has observed by the behaviors of ancestors is primarily due to the centuries-old traditional culture of the archaic type. 10 Customs and traditions as an integral part of the political culture of our country, those are rooted in the cultural heritage of the Mongolian nations. Some of the cultural traditions are echoes of ancient shamanic and Buddhist rituals, and the religious content and purpose of which was lost, but its certain traditional ritual acts are observed by it sets stil today. This is above all the veneration of the eternal blue sky and the state. Every morning the Mongols raise their hands to heaven and ask for prosperity and the salvation of the state and pray for Have a mercy on our state (Turiin min suld orshoo). The state turns into a sacralization of supreme power, i.e. its persistent perception as sanctioned by extrahuman forces. In the minds of the Mongolian people is deeply entrenched image of khan, the leader of that act, which the welfare of the country depends on its intelligence and enlightenment. Consequently, a belief in the highest khan's fairness was formed, which became characteristic of a nomadic culture. It should be noted that political culture is critically important in the process of forming citizenship, political views, orientations and values of ordinary citizens. One of the essential features of democracy is the participation of citizens themselves in the development, discussion and adoption of government decisions. But unfortunately, in recent years this possibility given less and less. Likewise, today in most cases remains unknown whether the initiatives and proposals of citizens were reflected in the relevant draft laws. In countries with developed democracy, the officials not only to attract people to participate, then commit themselves to decisionmaking in accordance with the views and wishes of the citizens. In the democratic countries, public hearings are one of the most significant form of political participation. Conclusion Therefore, for the development of democratic participation, for the development of political culture, we believe it is necessary to take appropriate measures. Consequently, for the development of democratic participation and establishment of the political culture that we believe it is necessary to take appropriate measures. First of all, strengthen political participation in the form of civic control over the actions of the authorities, that provides the opportunities and conditions for the active participation of citizens in the implementation of government functions and the ability to really influence the decision-making process at various of levels of government. 11 Important role in shaping political culture of Mongolia should play a political subjects of the political process such required by the followings of political parties, the media, electoral authorities, scientific and educational institutions i.e. In the course of further development of democratic political culture in our country has to overcome the many difficulties in the future. But certainly one thing is clear. The political culture of Mongolia is formed in specific historical and political conditions, whereas, it has its own modern features in the recent time. The buffer location of our country between the great neighbors of Russia and China, that imposes greatly imprints between Europe and East Europe. The political culture of Mongolia is formed at the junction of the intersection of two socio-cultural types of Europe and Asia. In the political culture of Mongolia intertwines that personal-centrist culture in associating with the identity of the spotlight, freedom, natural rights and socio-centric culture that is driven by the society and the collective stateship. Bibliographies Almond G., Verba S, (1980). The Civic Culture Revisited. Boston. Little Brown. Amarsanaa S, (2016). How democracy grew in Mongolia: first ten years (1990-2000). Zorig Foundation. International Republican Institute. UB, Mongolia Boldbaatar J, (2017). Historical studies on Perestroika in Mongolia: History in Politics (early 1980s to 1992). Ed. Dash-Yondon B, Institute of History and Archeology, MAS. UB, Mongolia Dovchin Yo, (2002). Political studies. UB, Mongolia IP, MAS (2015). Studia Philosophiae Et Juris. Tomus XXX. UB, Mongolia IPSL, MAS (2010). Studia Philosophiae Et Juris. Tomus XXV. UB, Mongolia IPSL, MAS (2009). Studia Philosophiae Et Juris. Tomus XXIV. UB, Mongolia IPSL, MAS (2008). Studia Philosophiae Et Juris. Tomus XXIII. UB, Mongolia IPSL, MAS, (2011). Democratic consolidation in Mongolia. Collective book. UB, Mongolia Margaret L. Nugent, (1992). From Leninism to Freedom: The challenges of Democratization. Edited by Margaret L. Nugent. Westview Press. Boulder, San-Francisco, Oxford. Marshall and Merle Goldman, (1992). To Leninism and back. From Leninism to Freedom: The challenges of Democratization. Edited by Margaret L. Nugent. Westview Press. Boulder, San-Francisco, Oxford. Michail Gorbachev, (2013). Alles zu Seiner Zeit. Translated (in Mongolian) by Baatar Ch. Hoffmann und Campe Verlag. UB, Mongolia National University of Mongolia, (2009). Politiology. UB, Mongolia Smorgunov L.B, (1997). Political profession in Russia in a comparative dimension. Moscow, Russian Federation 12