PERSPECTIVES ON NATIVE AMERICANS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
In: Teaching political science, Band 16, Heft 3, S. 92-98
ISSN: 0092-2013
THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS THE CONTENT GIVEN INDIANS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE TEXTS IN AN ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE WHICH MODELS OF POLITICS ARE APPLIED BY POLITICAL SCIENTISTS TO THE STUDY OF INDIANS AND INDIAN TRIBES. THIS ARTICLE PUTS FORTH THREE HYPOTHESES. THE INITIAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT MOST NON-INDIAN WRITERS VIEW INDIANS AS SIMPLY ANOTHER MINORITY GROUP WITHIN THE PLURALIST ARENA. THE SECOND IS THAT THE PLURALIST PARADIGM OBSCURES OR IGNORES FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES INVOLVED IN INDIAN POLITICS BECAUSE OF THE BASIC NATURE OF THE PLURALIST PARADIGM. THE THIRD IS THAT THE MORE KNOWLEDGE ONE HAS OF INDIAN POLITICS, THE LESS LIKELY IT IS THAT ONE WILL USE THE PLURALIST PARADIGM AS THE MODEL OF ANALYSIS. THIS PAPER IS DIVIDED INTO FOUR SECTIONS. THE FIRST SECTION DISCUSSES THE DOMINANT MODELS OF ANALYSIS USED IN ANALYZING MINORITY POLITICS, INCLUDING PLURALISM, ELITISM, INSTITUTIONALISM, HISTORICAL ANALYSIS, AND LEGAL STUDIES. THE SECOND SECTION RECOUNTS THE METHODOLOGY USED IN THIS RESEARCH; THE THIRD SECTION REPORTS THE FINDINGS; AND THE FINAL SECTION ATTEMPTS TO DRAW SOME CONCLUSIONS FROM THIS PRELIMINARY RESEARCH.