Behaviouralism in Political Science focuses on understanding and explaining human behavior through observable actions, emphasizing the importance of empirical observation and scientific methods.
Behaviouralism in Political Science
Introduction
The field of political science has seen significant changes over the years, with different schools of thought shaping the way we study and understand politics. One such transformation was brought about by the emergence of behaviouralism around the 1930s in the US, a movement that aimed to make political studies more scientific by focusing on the observation of human behavior. In this article, we’ll explore the key concepts of behaviouralism and its assumptions, as well as the subsequent development of post-behaviouralism.
Behaviouralism: A Scientific Approach to Political Science
Behaviouralism as an approach emerged in the 20th century around the 1930s in the United States and later gained prominence in the 1940s and 1950s, marking a revolutionary shift in the study of politics. Behavioural approach in political science has borrowed concepts and methodology from Sociology, Anthropology, and Psychology.
Earlier Charles Merriam advocated the idea of Behaviouralism in his book “New Aspects of Politics”, for which he is also regarded as the founder of Behavioral approach in comparative Politics. Behaviouralism focused on the individual as the primary factor or actor. It stresses upon the scientific and value free study of politics and focuses on the role of individual behaviour at various levels. Overall It sought to transform political science into a ‘science of politics’ by emphasizing empirical observation and analysis of human behavior.
David Easton in his famous work A Framework for Political Analysis (1965) has said that the assumptions and objectives of behaviouralism lay the intellectual foundation- stones for political analysis. Behaviouralism as a protest movement revolutionized the thought system of political science in the nineteen forties and fifties.
David Easton, outlined eight intellectual foundations of behavioralism in political science to distinguish it from earlier, more traditional approaches. For him, Behavioralism aimed to make political science more empirical, scientific, and systematic, borrowing methods and assumptions from the natural sciences. Here’s a breakdown of each of the eight foundations he identified:
- Regularities – Human political behavior follows patterns. By studying these patterns, we can make general rules about how people behave politically.
- Verification – Ideas or theories in political science should be tested with real evidence to see if they are true.
- Techniques – Researchers should use scientific tools and methods like surveys, statistics, and experiments to study politics.
- Quantification – Political information should be measured using numbers so it can be analyzed more accurately.
- Values – Political science should focus on facts and avoid mixing in personal opinions or moral judgments.
- Systematization – All research and findings should be organized into clear and logical theories.
- Pure Science – The goal of studying politics should be to understand it, not to promote a political view or agenda.
- Integration – Political science should borrow ideas and methods from other fields like psychology, sociology, and economics to better understand political behavior.
These points helped shape political science into a more scientific and evidence-based discipline.
Post-Behaviouralism: A New Direction for Political Science
David Easton stated, “We cannot shed our values in the way we remove our coats,” during his 1969 presidential address to the American Political Science Association, calling for a post-behavioral revolution. While behavioralism marked a significant shift in political study, it faced criticism. Easton’s new approach emphasized “Action” and “Relevance.”
Post-behaviouralism emerged as a reform movement, Easton used the term “genuine revolution” to indicate that political science needed to:
- Go beyond just collecting data and analyzing behavior.
- Address the pressing societal issues like inequality, injustice, war, and political instability.
- Become more value-oriented and engaged with real-world problems, not just academic exercises.
This was a call for rethinking the purpose and methods of political science entirely — hence, a revolution rather than a mere correction.
Here are some key aspects of post-behaviouralism:
Action and Relevance: Post-behaviouralism emphasized action and relevance, encouraging political scientists to address urgent societal challenges and provide practical solutions.
Value-Neutralism: Post-behaviouralism called for a departure from value-neutralism, asserting that political scientists should be more responsible and committed to the well-being of society.
Future-Oriented: This new approach, as envisioned by scholars like Leo Strauss and Hannah Arendt, aimed to propel political science in new directions, making it more future-oriented and focused on the evolving needs of society.
Conclusion
The journey from behaviouralism to post-behaviouralism reflects the dynamic nature of political science. These shifts in methodology and focus have shaped the field and continue to influence the way we study and understand politics in our ever-changing world.
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