Qn. 22: Comment: The Post-behavioural Approach.” (2016/I/1b/10)
Post behavioural approach is a political methodology which evolved from behaviouralism. Post- or neo- or new behaviouralism is a macro level analysis which searched for applied knowledge and practice, in the choice of values and decisions, to precipitate necessary political and social change. It was formally announced by David Easton in his 1969 lecture at APSA.
Behavioural Approach was born in America, around the world wars, to address the perceived crisis, in political theorising, of divorce from reality. Philosophy was rejected and science was adopted i.e. adoption of scientific analysis of actual political behaviour. Later behaviouralism itself was criticised for lacking relevance (Easton) and undermining political philosophy, by Wolin, Strauss, Reimer, Bay, Crick etc. Thus, post behaviouralism was born.
David Easton put forward seven guidelines for post-behaviouralism:
- Substance is more important than technique.
- Social change to have priority over status-quo preservation.
- Stay in touch with brute realities.
- Not to be value-free.
- Protect human civilisational values.
- Be action-oriented.
- Protect and promote the discipline of political science.
Post behaviouralism sought to be corrective of behaviouralism. It was the best possible compromise at that time, in the normative versus empirical debate. It endeavoured to synthesise facts and values in the political mainstream. As Marxists, traditionalists, post-modernists, critical school theorists etc. pointed out flaws in it, the evolution from post behaviouralism continued.