Overview

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.

Full Product Details

Author:   Margaret S. Archer ,  Jonathan Q. Tritter
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Dimensions:   Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.70cm , Length: 23.40cm
Weight:   0.500kg
ISBN:  

9780415242721

ISBN 10:   041524272
Pages:   272
Publication Date:   14 December 2000
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction, Margaret S. Archer, Jonathan Q. Tritter; Part 1 Part I Rationality; Chapter 2 The bird in hand, Peter Wagner; Chapter 3 Homo economicus, Homo sociologicus and Homo sentiens, Margaret S. Archer; Chapter 4 Is rational choice theory ‘unreasonable’?, Simon J. Williams; Part 2 Part II Individualism; Chapter 5 Social theory and the underclass, Justin Cruickshank; Chapter 6 (Ir)rational choice, Kay Peggs, Richard Lampard; Chapter 7 Switching allegiances, Jonathan Q. Tritter; Chapter 8 Rational choice or ‘Hobson's choice’?, Andrew Parker; Part 3 Part III Temporality; Chapter 9 ‘I do’, Ian Procter; Chapter 10 Decision-making as a process over time, Carol Wolkowitz; Chapter 11 The decision to commit a crime against humanity, Robert Fine, David Hirsh; Chapter 12 ‘Race’, ethnicity and housing decisions, Peter Ratcliffe; Part 4 Conclusion; Chapter 13 ‘When the battle's lost and won’, James A. Beckford; Bibliography; Name Index; Subject Index;

Reviews

'This is a book which has a strong rationale, is philosophically and theoretically well informed, structurally well organized, clearly explained ... and fulfills its own objectives very well.' - Journal of Critical Realism 1:1 November 2002 'This is a book which has a strong rationale, is philosophically and theoretically well informed, structurally well organized, clearly explained ... and fulfills its own objectives very well.' - Journal of Critical Realism

'This is a book which has a strong rationale, is philosophically and theoretically well informed, structurally well organized, clearly explained ... and fulfills its own objectives very well.' - Journal of Critical Realism

Author Information

<TYPE AUTHOR BLURB HERE>

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions