Chapter: 11th 12th std standard Political Science History goverment rule laws life Higher secondary school College Notes

Post - Behaviouralism

In the late 1960's the behavioural movement lost its original attraction and the momentum of the early years, and soon a reactionstarted which culminated in a new movement called post behaviouralism.

POST - BEHAVIOURALISM:

In the late 1960's the behavioural movement lost its original attraction and the momentum of the early years, and soon a reactionstarted which culminated in a new movement called post behaviouralism.

The post-behaviouralists did not reject the scientific method of the behaviouralists. Their against behaviouralism was that because it had ignored current social problems, it was relevant to contemporary social reality. Political science, they insisted, should be relevant to life and its problems.

It should seed to solve the problem of life and thereby enhance human welfare. Post-behaviouralism emphasizes that in political research the substance is more important than the thechnique. It ismore important to be relevant and meaningful for present day urgent problems.

David Easton an authority on post behaviouralism impressed the need for 'relevance and action'. Post behaviouralism in action-oriented and future oriented.

BEHAVIOURALIST MOVEMENT:

Behaviouralist movement came into existence after the end of World War II (1939 - 45). The behaviouralists made significant contributions to political science during the period. Writers like Gabriel A.Almond, Robert A.Dahi and David Easton are some of them.

According to Robert A.Dahi behavioralism is 'a protest movement within political science associated with a number of political scientists mainly Americans' who shared 'a strong sense of dissatisfaction with the achievements of conventional political science, particularly through historical, philosophical and the descriptive institutional approach' and a belief that additional methods and approaches either existed or could be developed that would help political science with empirical propositions and theories of a systematic sort, tested by closer, more direct and move vigorously controlled observations of political events.

Merits of Behavioural Methods:

It may assist the student of political science to compare and contract institutions of one culture with those of another.

Behaviouralism is dynamic in nature and can attempt to relate changes in changes in the social order as they occurred to changes in political orders.

Models can be used in relation to a theory and hypothesis of how the world is likely to behave.

field investigations, survey of attitudes and testing of hypothesis may throw new lights upon the old political and social problems.

Demerits:

1. The behavioural approach is possible for micro level studies only. Through behavioural they cannot discuss questions like 'what is justice?' or 'what is liberty?'

2. The ideas generated by behaviouralist are not new and they just introduced only alternative terms in political science.

3. By following inter-disciplinary approach, the content of politics has been considerably reduced.

Study Material, Lecturing Notes, Assignment, Reference, Wiki description explanation, brief detail

11th 12th std standard Political Science History goverment rule laws life Higher secondary school College Notes : Post - Behaviouralism |