Studying PolitStudying Politicsics

8/13/2019 Studying PolitStudying Politicsics

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STUDYING POLITICSApproaches to the study


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What is Science?

It is a field of study that aims to develop

reliable explanations of phenomena through

repeatable experiments, observation and

deduction. (Heywood, 2013)


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Philosophical Tradition

Ancient Greece: Plato and Aristotle,

Traditional approach to politics

Plato: ideal society is ruled by a benign dictatorship ofphilosopher kings.

Analytical study of ideas and doctrines tha thave beencentral to political thought

History of political thought from a collection of major

thinkers and classical texts Literary analysis: what the thinkers said; how they

developed their views and intellectual context

It deals with the normative questions.


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Empirical tradition

Empirical = based on observation and experiments;

empirical knowledge is derived from sense data and

experience.

Examples:

Aristotles classification of constitutions

Machiavellis account of statecraft

Montesquieus sociological theory of government and law

.


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Approach is descriptiveit seeks toanalyse and explain

Doctrine of empiricismexperience is the

only basis for knowledge, all hypothesesand theories should be tested by a processof observation

Auguste Comte (17981857) Positivism Social sciences and all forms ofphilosophical enquiry, should followstrictly the methods of natural sciences.


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Behaviouralism

Positivismtheory that social and all forms of enquiry

should follow the strict methods of the natural sciences.

Behaviouralismbelief that social theories should beconstructed only on the basis of observable behaviour,

providing quantifiable data or research.

Ex.: voting behaviour, behaviour of legislators and lobbyists

Down-side of Behaviouralism: constrained the growth of

political analysis, setting aside normative political ideas

and legitimizing the status quo.


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Rational-choice Theory

Public-choice theory or Political economy

it considers an individual as an abstract model. (Lazo,

2009)

It assume that an individual will prefer an option overother ones as in a game theory

The Prisoners dilemma


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New Institutionalism

Involves the study of institutions, i.e., a well-established

body with a formal role and status; more broadly, a set of

rules that ensure regular and predictable behaviour, rules

of the game (Heywood, 2013)

Political institutions are no longer equated with political

organizations; they are thought of not as things but as

sets of rules,

Institutions are embedded in normative and historical

context


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Critical approaches

Constructivism:An approach to analysis that is based on the belief that

there is no objective social or political reality independent of

our understanding of it.

Constructivists do not therefore regard the social world as

something out there, it exists only inside, as a kind of

inter-subjective awareness.


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Critical approaches

Post-positivism:

An approach to knowledge that questions the

idea of an objective reality, emphasizing instead

the extent to which people conceive, orconstruct, the world in which they live.


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Critical approaches

Characteristics of critical approaches:

1. They are critical contesting the status quo, siding

with the marginalized sectors.

Feminism

Critical theory (Neo-Marxism)

Green politics or ecologism

Post- colonialism

2. Emphasizing the role of the consciousness in shaping

social conductpost-positivism


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Concepts, models and theories

Conceptis a general idea about something, usuallyexpressed in a single word or a short phrase.

General

Ideal types

political concepts are often the subject of deep ideological

controversy. Politics is, in part, a struggle over the

legitimate meaning of terms and concepts. E.g. freedom,justice, liberty


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Model:A theoretical representation of empirical datathat aims to advance understanding by highlighting

significant relationships and interactions.

System is an organized or complex whole, a set ofinterrelated and interdependent parts that form a

collective entity. (inputoutput)

Demands Supports

Outputs


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Theory:A systematic explanation of empirical data,usually (unlike a hypothesis) presented as reliable

knowledge.

Modelexplanatory device

Theoryoffering a systematic explanation of a body of

data.


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Paradigmrefers to an intellectual frameworkcomprising interrelated values, theories and assumptions,

within which the search for knowledge is conducted.


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SHOULD WE BE OBJECTIVE

AND POLITICALLY NEUTRAL

IN THE STUDY OF POLITICS?


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POLITICAL IDEAS AND

IDEOLOGIESThe philosophers have only interpreted the

worldthe point is to change it

Karl Marx, Theses on Feuerbach (1845)


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Ideology

Coherent set of ideas that provides a basis for organized

political actionto preserve, modify or overthrow an

existing political system.

Attributes:

Analysis of the existing order or worldview

Model or vision of what is the future or Good Society

Course of action to acquire political change


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Can politics be without ideology?

YES Overcoming falsehood and

delusionintellectual

prisons

Rise of technocratic politicsunipolar world, managingthe capitalist economy,smaller questions

Rise of consumerist politicsparties marketingthemselves in elections

NO

Ideology as an intellectual

framework

Ideological renewal

flexibility

The vision thing gives

people something to

believe


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CLASSICAL IDEOLOGICALTRADITIONS


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Liberalism

Meta-ideologyhigher or second-order ideology that

lays down the grounds on which ideological debate can

take place

Developmentpast 300 years

Laissez-faire

John Locke (16321704)natural or God-given rightslike rights to life, liberty and property.

An exponent of representative government and toleration

A Letter Concerning Toleration (1689)

Two Treatises of Government(1690)


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Key ideas of Liberalism

Individualismcore principle

Freedomcore value

Reasonprogress and capacity of

individual to resolve their problems

Equalitylevel playing field or meritocracy

Tolerationallowing others to express their

beliefs Consentconsent of the governed

Constitutionalismlimited government

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Studying PolitStudying Politicsics