explain the mordern approach to study of political science
Answers
Explanation:
MODERN APPROACH
The modern approach is fact based and lays emphasis on the factual study of political
phenomenon to arrive at scientific and definite conclusions. The modern approaches include
sociological approach, economic approach, psychological approach, quantitative approach,
simulation approach, system approach, behavioural approach, Marxian approach etc.
Broadly speaking, modern or contemporary approaches to the study of politics signify a
departure from traditional approaches in two respects: (a) they attempt to establish a
separate identity of political science by focusing on the real character of politics; and (b)
they try to understand politics in totality, transcending its formal aspects and looking for
those aspects of social life which influence and are influenced by it.
Normative methods generally refer to the traditional methods of inquiry to the phenomena
of politics and are not merely concerned with “what is” but “what aught to be” issues in
politics. Its focus is on the analysis of institution as the basic unit of study. However with
the advent of industrialisation and behavioural revolution in the field of political science,
emphasis shifted from the study “what aught to” to “what is”. Today political scientists are
more interested in analysing how people behave in matters related to the state and
government.
A new movement was ushered in by a group of political scientists in America who were not
satisfied with the traditional approach to the analysis of government and state as they felt
that tremendous exploration had occurred in other social sciences like sociology,
psychology anthropology etc. which when applied to the political issues could render new
insights. They now collect data relating to actual political happenings. Statistical
information coupled with the actual behaviours of men, individually and collectively, may
help the political scientists in arriving at definite conclusions and predicting things correctly
in political matters. The quantitative or statistical method, the systems approach or
simulation approach in political science base their inquiry on scientific data and as such are
known as modern or empirical method.