Hi, welcome back to online class,
this is Dr. S. Thianlalmuan Ngaihte,
Assistant Professor of Political Science,
University and Higher Education
Department, Government of Manipur, India, Posted
at C.I. College, Bishnupur District,
Manipur. In the last class we had discussed about what is
behaviouralism and the factors responsible
for behavioral revolution in Political
Science, and also briefly read about the
contributions of prominent political
scientists with regards to behavioralism. Today, we will concentrate on the
characteristic features of behaviouralism by taking into account the
contributions of David Easton, one of the
leading political scientists, who is
associated with the foundation of behaviouralists revolution or movement. He laid down
certain objectives of behaviouralism, 8 in numbers, and he called them as the "intellectual foundation stones" of behaviouralism, which he believed
had steered and directed the course of
behavioral movement or behavioral
revolution in political science. We will see
this lists one after another. The first
one is regularities,
which implies that there are certain uniform
discoverable uniformities in
political behavior which can be
explained in theory like statement so as to provide for explanation and prediction
of political behavior.  And we know that political behavior being determined
by so many factors is not always uniform. Nevertheless, human being
have been observed to behave in certain respect in a more or less similar
similar manner on different occasions. And this uniformities or regularities
led to generalizations or theories to
explain and even predict human behavior.
Behaviouralists, in fact, called for
political scientist to continuously
engaged themselves in the search for
unrelenting regularities of political behavior and also
for the variables associated with them.  And also, they are advocating giving
up of purely descriptive studies in
favor of rigorous analytical statement.
List 2, verification. It applies that
in the uniformities or generalization of
theory like statement must be valid,
which means testable in principle
by reference to relevant political
behavior. It should be subject to
checking and rechecking. Behaviourslists attached 
a great deal of importance to the
adoptions of correct techniques for
acquiring and interpreting data and
the use of research tools and methods, which generate valid, reliable and
comparable data.  Three, Technique. There are
some acceptable public and standard means
and methods for observing, recording
and analyzing behavior. They are regarded
as methodological techniques, such as
sampling, interview, panel studies, etc
which should remain to all. These
techniques are continuously reformed and
refined to make data of observation more
reliable and communicable among scholars.
Lists 4, Quantification,
which implies that uniformities obtained
through observation should be precise, definite, and measurable for this purpose.
They should be quantified or expressed , either in numbers or symbols, as is done in
natural sciences. Precision in the
reading or recording of data and
statement of findings requires a
measurement which should be expressed in
terms of actual quantities to facilitate
proper analysis.  List 5, Values. The
behaviouralists drew a clear distinction
between ethical evaluation and empirical
explanation, which were concerned with
values and facts respectively. They
insisted that objective scientific inquiry has to be value-free
or value-neutral. In fact, the behaviouralists does not start their
research with any preconceived notions or
values because they believe that it vitiates or it
it spoils the findings. Even
if they subscribes certain values,
they either isolate them or announces them in advance. And they
were also fully convinced that
ultimate values or ends cannot be
scientifically proved or disproved as
the source of origin, form and ambit
cannot be identified empirically. List 6, Systematization
which stands for establishing closed
interrelationship between theory and
research because research untutored by
theory may prove trivial, while theory
unsupported by data may turn out to
be futile. Both theory and research are
closely interrelated
part of a coherent and orderly body of
knowledge. In short, research must be
theory-oriented and theory should be
supported by data. List 7, Pure
science. Behaviourslists put great emphasis
on developing a pure science of politics
and in
conducting basic research. They were
convinced that knowledge be utilized
to solve the problems of society. That is,
a pure science politics and knowledge
alone can be rightly put to the
solutions of urgent problems of
society. In other words, understanding and explanation of political behavior is
essential to utilize knowledge in the solution of urgent practical
problems of society. List 8, Integration,  which signifies integration of
political science with other social
sciences in order to evolve a
comprehensive view of human affairs, to strengthen its validity and
generality of its own results. The aim is
to make political science interdisciplinary
which also implies that the
political behavior of man or the
political man can be seen, interpreter, or
studied from different angles. The
political man can be understood as a whole by linking him with his other aspects:
social, cultural, economic, religious, psychological and historical. To conclude
behaviorism is not merely an approach, nor a mere ordinary reform movement, but
a total commitment to the broad and essential requirements of scientific
knowledge. Easton's enunciation of behaviouralism as discussed here involves both its early
and later phases. 
Early behavioralists neglects
values completely and was individual-oriented. Later, it moved towards macro
study incorporating values as facts
or givens. With this we have come to the end of the
class. In the next class we will try to
see the significance or importance of behaviouralism in political science and also we may take up post-
behaviouralism
thank you
