The Integration of Neo-institutionalism

International comparisons have gained a lot of importance in sociology during the last decades. The theory of "neo- institutionalism" is one of the latest developments in this field. This approach, in particular the world society thesis of John W. Meyer, asserts that nation-states, organizations, and individuals all over the world are exposed to homogenizing processes due to the authority of institutions such as (international) governmental and non- governmental organizations and the application of certain "scripts" such as democratic principles, human rights, or scientific principles. The main focus of this approach lies currently on the societal level, but increasing efforts are being made to integrate it into international comparisons of individual attitudes and behaviours. The aim of my proposal is to attach and to better integrate neo-institutionalism together with modernization approaches into international comparisons of individual attitudes. My core assumption is that modernization leads to a general shift of attitudes and thus provides the Basis for subsequent changes propelled by institutions and the corresponding scripts. For the empirical research, a particular topic is considered, namely political culture. Here, individual attitudes towards democracy and the political community, trust in institutions, tolerance for minorities, and environmental concerns are analyzed. The analysis is conducted both under a time- comparative (1970s onwards) and international (Europe and the US) perspective.