Behavioralism in Comparative Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Behavioralism in Comparative Politics - Essay Example As the discussion explores behavioralism is a methodological approach which helps to understand politics through concepts of natural science avoiding concepts which cannot be quantified. This approach is essential for comparative politics as it helps to analyze political processes, which cannot be discovered and analyzed by other methodological approaches such as neoliberalism or realism. This paper stresses that behavioralism was a popular methodological approach developed in 1950s-1960s in America. In comparative politics, Behavioralism is connected with: â€Å"individual attitudes, personalities, and physical activity, such as voting, criminal behavior, aggression, etc. and then generalizes to a similar group. Political scientists study political behavior, voting, for example†. In general, behavioralism examines the factors affecting imitation and notes that behaviour is more likely to be copied. Imitating or modelling as it is called, can be seen to be a very important part of the political process. Aspects of the role model's behaviour may be incorporated into behaviour patterns and style. The behavioral approach in comparative politics can be defined by approach to the logic and method of its investigation, and described as a methodology. A study by Easton â€Å"every man puts his own emphasis and thereby becomes his own behavioralist". According to Seid elman and Harpham "attempts at coming to any complete definition of behavioralism are probably futile given the diversity of those who followed its banner".