A problematic discipline: The identity of Australian political studies

Political science as a distinct discipline only emerged in the Australian a cademy after the Second World War. By the end of the 1950s it was attractin g thousands of undergraduates, Into the 1990s and beyond, political science has remained a relatively 'successful' discipline. However, it would be di fficult to argue that the identity of Australian political science has been forged by disputes over the 'scientific' core of the discipline. Some Aust ralian political scientists have claimed that this deficit is a fundamental weakness, denying the discipline both a set of common professional values and a basis for the integration of research. By contrast, this paper will a rgue that the issue of identity is better considered from a historically se nsitive perspective rather than purely in terms of profession and methodolo gy.