Suchergebnisse

The revolution in the nature and purposes of comparative politics, to which we were exhorted by Macridis and others in the early 1950s, implied a more comparative and sociological orientation in our teaching and research. By taking a survey of textbooks used in the field and a mail survey of university teachers of comparative politics courses, the author collected data on the teaching enterprise to complement data on research activities. These data show that a majority of the textbooks reflect the revolution in comparative politics in some way but around one-third do not and that 40% of the courses are taught in a country-by-country format. Hence, despite the widespread espousal of its aims, in teaching and textbooks the "revolution" is far from complete, and there may be a slight retrenchment toward more traditional approaches.

THE REVOLUTION IN THE NATURE AND PURPOSES OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS, TO WHICH WE WERE EXHORTED BY MACRIDIS AND OTHERS IN THE EARLY 1950S, IMPLIED A MORE COMPARATIVE AND SOCIOLOGICAL ORIENTATION IN OUR TEACHING AND RESEARCH. BY TAKING A SURVEY OF TEXTBOOKS USED IN THE FIELD AND A MAIL SURVEY OF UNIVERSITY TEACHERS OF COMPARATIVE POLITICS COURSES, THE AUTHOR COLLECTED DATA ON THE TEACHING ENTERPRISE TO COMPLEMENT DATA ON RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. THESE DATA SHOW THAT A MAJORITY OF THE TEXTBOOKS REFLECT THE REVOLUTION IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS IN SOME WAY BUT AROUND ONE-THIRD DO NOT AND THAT 40% OF THE COURSES ARE TAUGHT IN A COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY FORMAT. HENCE, DESPITE THE WIDESPREAD ESPOUSAL OF ITS AIMS, A TEACHING AND TEXTBOOKS THE "REVOLUTION" IS FAR FROM COMPLETE, AND THERE MAY BE A SLIGHT RETRENCHMENT TOWARD MORE TRADITIONAL APPROACHES.