Explain the Political-Sociological Approach in the field of comparative politics and discuss its limitations. (UPSC CSE Mains 2017 - Political Science and International Relations, Paper 2)
- Political Sociology is the product of a cross fertilization between sociology and political science that studies the impact of society on politics and also the reverse, although viewing the substance of politics in a social form.
Essential features of political sociology are:
(1) Political sociology is not political science since, unlike the later, it is not a state discipline or a study of the state craft.
(2) Political sociology concerned with not only with social but with the political as well.
(3) Political sociology revolves round the belief that there exists an identify of form between the social process and the political process.
- Political sociology tries to resolve the traditional dichotomy between state and society. Therefore, Political sociology acts a theoretical and methodological bridge between political science and sociology, what Sartori has called “an inter-disciplinary hybrid”.
- Political sociology discusses how society affects politics. It tries to understand the interaction between decision-making institutions and conflictual social forces. How the informal political institutions like interest groups, social movements operate and exercise power. How various divisive forces like caste, class, race etc. play role in politics (identity politics) and power. For example, Paul Brass has studied the role of religion in Indian politics.
- There are 3 main approaches in political sociology. Pluralists focus on the role played by public opinion, interest groups and social movements in politics. Elitists like Weber focus on role played by elites. Marxists, on the other hand, suggest that the capitalist, propertied class sets the agenda and exercises power in politics.
- Although the political-sociology approach is quite popular, there are certain limitations. It emphasises too much on society. So much so that there is fear of discipline getting submerged in sociology and Theda Skockpol calls for ‘bringing the state back in.
- This approach neglects the role played by economic factors. Factors like poverty, profit maximisation etc. Further, the method also undermines the role played by institutions in shaping politics.
However, we can say that politics is too complex. There are multiple forces at play. A single approach is never sufficient for analysis. Thus, political sociology can be used with other approaches for comprehensive understanding.
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