Blackwell Reference Online

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The basic principles underlying rational choice theory (RCT) can be summarized by three statements: (1) explaining a social phenomenon means making it the consequence of a set of statements which should all be easily acceptable; (2) a good sociological theory is a theory that interprets any social phenomenon as the outcome of individual actions; and (3) actions should be analyzed as “rational.” M. Hollis (1977) puts it this way: “rational action is its own explanation.” James Coleman (1986 : 1) goes further, and states that an action can be held as “explained” if and only if it is treated as “rational”: Thus “[r]ational actions of individuals have a unique attractiveness as the basis for social theory. If an institution or a social process can be accounted for in terms of the rational actions of individuals, then and only then can we say that it has been explained.” As for Gary Becker, he introduces the crucial statement that the social sciences can analyze behavior along two basic dimensions, the rational and the irrational, the latter consisting in explaining behavior as the effect of impersonal forces: “The … utility-maximizing approach … is remarkably useful in unifying a wide class of behavior … I do not believe that any alternative approach — be it founded on ‘cultural’, ‘biological’, or ‘psychological’ forces — comes close to providing comparable insights and explanatory ... log in or subscribe to read full text