Sytems theory and attitude measurement in political science : as applied to the Australian accord

Abstract

The first part of the thesis takes a macro-view of the social significance of the agreement known as the Accord, whilst the second part takes a micro-view of the same subject, delving into individual psychology in search of attitudes to the Accord. A broad interpretation of politics is required to analyse the full (political) import of the Accord. The theoretical framework for the macro-analysis is based on David Eas ton’s model according to which the political system processes inputs of demands and support into outputs of policy for the authoritative allocation of values for society. Easton’s work benefits from being associated with wider and more recent systems theorising, especially the hierarchic aspects of living systems theory. It is then possible to say that the political system is an essential subsystem of society and all that that entails, and to interpret contemporary political events associated with the Accord as subsystemic differentiation of the political system. The thesis also suggests that the Australian trade union leadership is playing a key role in the political development of Australia. The history of ideas that shaped the Accord shows that it is much more than a prices and incomes policy instrument. The national interest role of the ACTU and industry restructuring are shown to be the key ideas involved. Part Two looks at attitudes to the Accord. Deficiencies in scale-based techniques of attitude measurement are examined and a better method -- the Stephenson/Brown approach — is demonstrated by two studies of attitudes to the Accord. The responses of 60 persons who performed Q-sorts were factor-analysed and used as the basis of other computer analyses to obtain the range of attitudes in the community towards the Accord, and a group of 12 persons undertaking an intensive education program about the Accord were tested with Q-sorts on two separate occasions to study attitude change. Six typical attitude patterns were found in the first study, and the rigidity of attitude structures was confirmed by the second. The common theme of the two parts of the thesis, aside from the Accord being the substantive matter investigated in both, is their search for sound methodological bases for dynamic modelling of political culture. For such a task, the macro-model must be capable of handling multi-level complexity, and only systems models are capable of this. The raw data of political culture — attitudes — also require a methodology of measurement which is equal to the task of capturing complexity, now available in the Stephenson/Brown approach to attitude measurement and analysis.