Author: James S. Coleman Publisher: SAGE Publications, Incorporated ISBN: Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 264
Book Description
Rational Choice Theory is one of the few general theories of how individuals, groups, organizations and social structures behave - its impact on sociological theorizing has been enormous. In this volume, advocates and critics present their views of the values and limitations of rational choice theory. Whether supporter or sceptic, sociologists and other social scientists will find themselves immersed in a creative discussion of the merits and difficulties of the model and its applicability to both macro and micro level social issues.
Author: Michael Hechter Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing ISBN: 1789903254 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 375
Book Description
Rational Choice Sociology shows that despite the scepticism of many sociologist, rational choice theory indeed can account for a variety of non-market outcomes, including those concerning social norms, family dynamics, crime, rebellion, state formation and social order.
Author: Tibor Rutar Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1000440885 Category : Political Science Languages : en Pages : 227
Book Description
Drawing on a range of data from across disciplines, this book explores a series of fundamental questions surrounding the nature, working and effects of democracy, considering the reasons for the emergence and spread of democratic government, the conditions under which it endures or collapses – and the role of wealth in this process – and the peaceful nature of dealings between democracies. With emphasis on the ‘ordinary’ voter, the author employs rational choice theory to examine the motivations of voters and their levels of political knowledge and rationality, as well as the special interests, incentives and corruption of politicians. A theoretically informed and empirically illustrated study of the birth and downfall of democracies, the extent of voters’ political knowledge and ignorance, the logic of political behaviour in both open and closed regimes, and the international effects of democratic rule, Rational Choice and Democratic Government: A Sociological Approach will appeal to scholars with interests in political sociology, political psychology, economics and political science.
Author: Mary Zey Publisher: SAGE ISBN: 9780803951365 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 156
Book Description
Rational Choice Theory and Organizational Theory is written in response to the neo-classical economic rational choice theories and organizational economic theories which have emerged in the past decade and gained center stage in current organizational analysis.
Author: Rafael Wittek Publisher: Stanford University Press ISBN: 0804785503 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 625
Book Description
The Handbook of Rational Choice Social Research offers the first comprehensive overview of how the rational choice paradigm can inform empirical research within the social sciences. This landmark collection highlights successful empirical applications across a broad array of disciplines, including sociology, political science, economics, history, and psychology. Taking on issues ranging from financial markets and terrorism to immigration, race relations, and emotions, and a huge variety of other phenomena, rational choice proves a useful tool for theory- driven social research. Each chapter uses a rational choice framework to elaborate on testable hypotheses and then apply this to empirical research, including experimental research, survey studies, ethnographies, and historical investigations. Useful to students and scholars across the social sciences, this handbook will reinvigorate discussions about the utility and versatility of the rational choice approach, its key assumptions, and tools.
Author: Hans-peter Blossfeld Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1000308952 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 296
Book Description
The relationship between rational choice theory and large-scale data analysis has become an important issue for sociologists. Though rational choice theory is well established in both sociology and economics, its influence on quantitative empirical sociology has been surprisingly limited. This book examines why there is hardly a link between the t
Author: Lawrence A. Young Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1134953496 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 168
Book Description
Rational Choice Theory and Religion considers one of the major developments in the social scientific paradigms that promises to foster a greater theoretical unity among the disciplines of sociology, political science, economics and psychology. Applying the theory of rational choice--the theory that each individual will make her choice to maximize gain and minimize cost--to the study of religion, Lawrence Young has brought together a group of internationally renowned scholars to examine this important development within the field of religion for the first time.
Author: Barry Hindess Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1317652134 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 138
Book Description
Choice, Rationality and Social Theory is a powerful rebuttal of the remarkably influential theories underlying 'rational choice analysis'. Rational choice analysis maintains that social life is principally to be explained as the outcome of rational choices on the part of individual actors. Adherents of this view include not only philosophers, political scientists and sociologists, but also prominent politicians in Western governments – notably of the United Kingdom and the United States. Rational choice analysis is said to be rigorous, capable of great technical sophistication, and able to generate powerful explanations on the basis of a few, relatively simple theoretical assumptions. Barry Hindess argues that the theory is seriously deficient, first, because there are important actors in the modern world other than human individuals, and second, because it says nothing about those processes of deliberation that play an important part in actors' decisions. The use of highly questionable assumptions about actors and their rationality has the effect of closing off important areas of intellectual inquiry and ignoring the reality of certain forms of thought and the social conditions on which they depend. These points are established through detailed examination of the concepts of the actor and of rationality – providing an overall argument that constitutes a serious challenge to any adherent of rational choice analysis.
Author: Margaret S. Archer Publisher: Routledge ISBN: 1134546521 Category : Social Science Languages : en Pages : 276
Book Description
Rational Choice Theory is flourishing in sociology and is increasingly influential in other disciplines. Contributors to this volume are convinced that it provides an inadequate conceptualization of all aspects of decision making: of the individuals who make the decisions, of the process by which decisions get made and of the context within which decisions get made. The ciritique focuses on the four assumptions which are the bedrock of rational choice: rationality: the theory's definition of rationality is incomplete, and cannot satisfactorily incorporate norms and emotions individualism: rational choice is based upon atomistic, individual decision makers and cannot account for decisions made by ;couples', 'groups' or other forms of collective action process: the assumption of fixed, well-ordered preferences and 'perfect information' makes the theory inadequate for situations of change and uncertainty aggregation: as methodological individualists, rational choice theorists can only view structure and culture as aggregates and cannot incorporate structural or cultural influences as emergent properties which have an effect upon decision making. The critique is grounded in discussion of a wide range of social issues, including race, marriage, health and education.
Author: Peter Abell Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing ISBN: Category : Mathematics Languages : en Pages : 446
Book Description
'Rational Choice Theory is a flourishing branch of economic sociology.' Modern sociological theory has to a considerable degree been fashioned in reaction to assumptions about human rationality. This important volume argues in favour of re-establishing rather relaxed assumptions of rationality as a basis for building theory. Although such theories often fail, they prove to be more successful in building predictive and deductive models of human affairs than any competing theoretical framework. The volume includes important and seminal articles drawn from economics, game theory, utility theory and finds application in the Marxist theory of class, group theory, organization theory and the theory of power relations. This landmark book will be an essential reference companion for any serious student or researcher in modern sociological theory.
Author: James S. Coleman
Author: Michael Hechter
Author: Tibor Rutar
Author: Mary Zey
Author: Rafael Wittek
Author: Hans-peter Blossfeld
Author: Lawrence A. Young
Author: Barry Hindess
Author: Margaret S. Archer
Author: Peter Abell