• Discipline refers to a branch of learning or a subject of study.
• Examples of different disciplines include history, political science, economics, linguistics, anthropology, physics, chemistry, mathematics, and botany.
• Social sciences involve systematic studies of human society, human behavior in society, and interpersonal relationships of individuals.
• Fields like political science, economics, sociology, social psychology, and cultural anthropology are categorized as social sciences.
• Some disciplines overlap between the physical and social sciences.
• Examples include physical geography, physical anthropology, and clinical psychology (belonging to physical sciences).
• On the other hand, human geography, social anthropology, and social psychology are considered part of social sciences.

THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

• Interdisciplinary approach relies on more than one discipline for studying a given problem or phenomenon.
• This approach is useful when disciplines deal with common problems or different aspects of the same phenomenon.
• Social sciences are a prime example where an interdisciplinary approach is highly suitable.
• The interdisciplinary approach helps evolve a broader perspective and leads to more thorough and fruitful understanding of problems.
• The study of politics as a social process benefits from an interdisciplinary approach.
• The interdisciplinary approach in political science involves:
  • (a) Using findings, theories, and models from other social sciences to understand political phenomena.
  • (b) Verifying political science theories and findings with data and theories from other social sciences.
  • (c) Developing a broader perspective on political life while contributing to other social sciences.
• Expanding the scope of study should be purposeful and well-conceived.
• While entering other social sciences, we should maintain the main focus of the study.
• Any reference to economics, sociology, psychology, or anthropology should be purposeful and aimed at understanding political problems, not randomly.
• For example, studying labour-management relations or psychology of crowd behavior should be done with the goal of analyzing their impact on politics.

GENESIS OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

• The interdisciplinary approach is a recent trend in political science but can be traced in rudimentary form in traditional studies of politics.
• Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher, emphasized that the structure of the family and the nature of education affect the character and actions of political leaders in his search for rulers of an “ideal state.”
• Aristotle demonstrated a causal relationship between the distribution of wealth and status in communities and the type of political regime they had.
• In the mid-eighteenth century, Charles de Montesquieu (1689-1755), a French philosopher, explored the social-psychological foundations of different forms of government.
• Earlier studies lacked deeper analysis of the forces shaping political events.
• Marx (1818-83) and Engels (1820-95), German philosophers, were likely the first to develop a systematic interdisciplinary approach in the mid-nineteenth century, focusing on socio-economic factors as the primary source of political behavior.
• They emphasized the role of technological development, mode of material production, and class structure in shaping politics.
• Liberal thinkers also examined the interlinkages between social, cultural, economic, and political processes.
• Modern liberal political scientists have consistently argued that understanding the political process requires considering various social factors.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

• The interdisciplinary approach is essential when studying politics as a social process and defining the political system as an “open system” of interactions.
• The political system receives inputs from the social system or environment and produces outputs that re-enter the environment through the feedback channel.
• This approach requires expanding the scope of study to understand aspects of the social process that affect and are affected by politics.
• Empirical orientation in political science is based on factual information, observation, and direct sense-experience.
• Politics is one of the oldest disciplines, but the empirical orientation in political science emerged later compared to other social sciences like anthropology, sociology, economics, and psychology.
• Traditional political science was linked to ethics and moral philosophy, focused on norms of public life and evolving institutions.
• The normative approach focuses on values and is prescriptive, whereas the empirical approach is descriptive and concerned with facts.
• The empirical approach aims to:
  • (a) Deal with observable facts and data.
  • (b) Explain by establishing cause-and-effect relationships and making generalizations.
  • (c) Make predictions based on known data and relationships.
• Empirical orientation led to understanding politics as a process within the larger social system, rather than idealized states or formal institutions.
• Political science was drawn towards other social sciences to learn their methodologies and see how their data, theories, and models could aid in understanding political phenomena.
• The shift from political institutions to political behavior and political system analysis was driven by empirical orientation.
• Political behavior analysis involves studying the behavior of participants (electorate, legislators, bureaucrats, etc.), not just institutions or ideas.
• Heinz Eulau emphasized that political behavior must be interdisciplinary, considering the social, cultural, and personal factors affecting it.
• The introduction of systems analysis in political science also promoted interdisciplinary approaches, viewing politics as part of the larger social system.
• The political system is a sub-system within the larger social system, influenced by societal demands, and impacting the broader system.
• Understanding the economic, cultural, psychological, and sociological aspects of the social organization is essential for understanding political processes.
• The interdisciplinary approach treats society as a totality, with political science focusing on the political aspect and drawing on data from other social sciences.
• Political scientists use data on economic growth, distribution of wealth, education, religious attitudes, family structures, and more to assess the sustainability of political systems like democracy.
• Political scientists’ interest in political socialization, political culture, political development, and political communication has led to reliance on data from psychology, sociology, and economics.
• Seymour Martin Lipset highlighted the need to consider social mobilization, values, and personality orientations in understanding political development and citizenship.
• The interdisciplinary approach has encouraged political scientists to use theories and models from other social sciences.
• The elite theory, originally developed in sociology, has been applied in political analysis of leadership, group behavior, and democracy.
• The Marxian framework of base and superstructure, developed in economics and sociology, has been used for political analysis.
• Some contemporary political science approaches originated in other social sciences:
• • David Easton’s concept of the political system comes from sociology.
  • The structural-functional approach was derived from cultural anthropology and later applied in political science.
  • Harold Lasswell’s problem-solving approach was influenced by psychology.
  • The study of politics as a process of bargaining is based on economic theories of competition.

• The use of theories and models from other social sciences has significantly contributed to the development of political science.