Rationele keuze als proces. Nut en onnut van formele theorie in de historische sociologie

Samenvatting

Rational Choice as Process: The Use and Uselessness of Formal Theories in Historical Sociology. Within sociology, there lies an unmistakable tension between one approach based on the individual and another focusing on the whole society. Another axis extends along a continuum between dynamic and static visions of society. Rational choice theory, emphasizing the issues of how decisions on the individual level become coordinated on the social level, is contrasted with historical sociology, stressing that modern social structure is the result of previous formations. A literature review shows that historical sociology has made pragmatic use of rational choice theory. Rational choice theoreticians share professional ideals with the exact scientists, eg, population biologists, mathematical microeconomists, and experimental psychologists. Historical sociologists, in contrast, are less interested in logical deduction and statistical testing, in the methods of historiography and the humanities. 45 References. Adapted from the source document.