Randall Collins on status groups and statuses

Thesis Eleven ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 154 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-37
Author(s):  
Barry Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Rational Choice ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Sociology Of Science ◽  
Erving Goffman ◽  
Harold Garfinkel ◽  
Fundamental Understanding

This paper focuses on what could be learned about statuses and status groups from the work of Randall Collins in the 1980s, and in particular from Weberian Sociological Theory (1986). I mention how I myself found this book useful at that time to further my own work in the sociology of science and in sociological theory, and emphasise its value in appreciating the fundamental and irremediable deficiencies of individualistic rational choice theory in both contexts. I go on to note how Collins, a ‘macro’ sociologist in the 1980s, was nonetheless well aware of the indispensable role of micro-sociology in advancing the fundamental understanding of the field as a whole, and his singling out of Erving Goffman and Harold Garfinkel as primus inter pares for their special theoretical importance at this time. I say a little about why these two did indeed have much to contribute to an understanding of statuses and of status groups and still do even today, and end by noting how effectively Collins has used and built upon the work of Goffman in particular since the 1980s.

scholarly journals SOCIOLOGIA DO CRESCIMENTO PENTECOSTAL NO BRASIL: UM BALANÇO

2011 ◽  
Vol 43 (119) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Mariano
Keyword(s):  
Rational Choice ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Sociological Theory ◽  
Structural Transformations ◽  
Rural Migrants ◽  
Its Analysis ◽  
Theory Of Religion

O artigo apresenta um balanço sumário da teoria sociológica sobre a expansão pentecostal no Brasil. Analisa as obras mais importantes que a conformaram, sua perspectiva modernizadora e destaca as críticas que recebeu. Procura mostrar que essa teoria responsabilizou prioritariamente as transformações estruturais da sociedade pelas mudanças nas escolhas religiosas de parte dos migrantes rurais e dos estratos mais pobres da população. Por fim, apresenta a perspectiva da teoria da escolha racional da religião, que, em contraste, foca sua análise na oferta religiosa.ABSTRACT: The article presents a summary balance of sociological theory about the Pentecostal expansion in Brazil. It analyses the most important works that led to the birth of Pentecostalism, its modernizing perspective and the criticism it has received. The article seeks to show that this theory blamed primarily the structural transformations of society through changes in religious choices by rural migrants and the poorest strata of the population. Finally, the article presents the perspective of the rational choice theory of religion, which, in contrast, focuses its analysis on the religious offering.

The Decision to Vote or to Abstain

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Gidengil
Keyword(s):  
Rational Choice ◽  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Census Data ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Choice Model ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Civic Duty ◽  
Parsimonious Model

Why voters turn out on Election Day has eluded a straightforward explanation. Rational choice theorists have proposed a parsimonious model, but its logical implication is that hardly anyone would vote since their one vote is unlikely to determine the election outcome. Attempts to save the rational choice model incorporate factors like the expressive benefits of voting, yet these modifications seem to be at odds with core assumptions of rational choice theory. Still, some people do weigh the expected costs and benefits of voting and take account of the closeness of the election when deciding whether or not to vote. Many more, though, vote out of a sense of civic duty. In contrast to the calculus of voting model, the civic voluntarism model focuses on the role of resources, political engagement, and to a lesser extent, recruitment in encouraging people to vote. It pays particular attention to the sources of these factors and traces complex paths among them. There are many other theories of why people vote in elections. Intergenerational transmission and education play central roles in the civic voluntarism models. Studies that link official voting records with census data provide persuasive evidence of the influence of parental turnout. Education is one of the best individual-level predictors of voter turnout, but critics charge that it is simply a proxy for pre-adult experiences within the home. Studies using equally sophisticated designs that mimic the logic of controlled experiments have reached contradictory conclusions about the association between education and turnout. Some of the most innovative work on voter turnout is exploring the role of genetic influences and personality traits, both of which have an element of heritability. This work is in its infancy, but it is likely that many genes shape the predisposition to vote and that they interact in complex ways with environmental influences. Few clear patterns have emerged in the association between personality and turnout. Finally, scholars are beginning to recognize the importance of exploring the connection between health and turnout.

Complexity, Bounded Rationality and Heuristic Search

2002 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Bentley MacLeod
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Rational Choice ◽  
Heuristic Search ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Heuristic Function ◽  
Heuristic Search Algorithms ◽  
Human Decision

Abstract This paper explores the use of heuristic search algorithms for modeling human decision making. It is shown that this algorithm is consistent with many observed behavioral regularities, and may help explain deviations from rational choice. The main insight is that the heuristic function can be viewed as formal implementation of one aspect of emotion as discussed in Descarte's Error by Antonio Damasio. Consistent with Damasio's observations, it is shown that the quality of decision making is very sensitive to the nature of the heuristic ("emotion"), and hence this may help us better understand the role of emotion in rational choice theory.

scholarly journals Capital theory and rational choice

Sociologija ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-204
Author(s):  
Natasa Golubovic
Keyword(s):  
Rational Choice ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Economic Science ◽  
Marxian Theory ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Capital Theory ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual

Almost from the very beginning of economic science the notion of capital has been the subject of numerous controversies. The main reason for the concept's controversial nature is that it explains interest and profit. In Marxian theory, where 'manner of production' determines forms of activities, mutual relationships and life of individuals, capital appears as a social phenomenon i.e. social relation. Goods and money are not capital by themselves but become capital in the capitalist way of production. Economics mainstream is based on methodological individualism upon which explanation of social phenomena and processes must be derived from individual behavior and motivation. Capital, therefore, is not a product of capitalism as a socially and historically specific form of economic organization, but is rather perceived as connected to the individual and his or her rational behavior. Rational choice is the basic and sometimes the only explanatory factor in the neoclassic theories of capital. Although theories of human and cultural capital point out the interdependence between individual activity and choice on the one hand, and social position on the other hand in the process of capitalization, the connection remains in the background and somehow unclear. A more explicit indication of the interdependence between social structure and choice can be found in the theory of social capital. The goal of this paper is to explore the role of rational choice theory in explaining the nature of capital.

scholarly journals Pilihan Rasional Kiai dan Desain Pendidikan Toleransi di Pondok Pesantren Tebuireng dan Nurul Jadid

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Mursyid Mursyid
Keyword(s):  
Informal Learning ◽  
Rational Choice ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
Daily Activities ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Pluralistic Society

This article discusses the role of kyai and the learning design used in educating tolerance in two pesantrens, namely Pesantren Tebuireng of Jombang and Pesantren Nurul Jadid Probolinggo. The two pesantrens educate their students to internalize and actualize tolerant value and attitude. However, the value of tolerance is not taught formally like other subjects, but rather developed through informal learning and examplary model by the kyais in both pesantrens. As the kyais in both pesantrens have inclusive views and tolerant attitudes in the context of pluralistic society, the students learn from their tolerant views and attitudes, and adopt this value in their daily activities. Using Coleman’s rational choice theory, it can be argued that the kyais of both pesantrens have consciously adopted the value of tolerance as one of the important instructional values. Therefore, it can be concluded that pesantren is the place of seeding the values of tolerance, while the learning design used by pesantrens can be called “tolerance exhibition model”.

Definition and Measurement of Tactical Voting: The Role of Rational Choice

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 152-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
STEPHEN D. FISHER
Keyword(s):  
Rational Choice ◽  
Rational Choice Theory ◽  
Choice Theory ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Election Study ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
First Choice ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Methodological Considerations

There has been substantial debate on the measurement of tactical voting in this Journal, much of which has actually been concerned with the definition of a tactical vote. For this reason it is necessary to go ‘back to basics’ to examine the notion of a tactical vote within rational choice theory and follow its implications for the measurement of tactical voting. This Note has four aims: to elucidate the formal theoretical concepts behind the notion of tactical voting; to provide a practical definition of tactical voting based on those concepts; to examine and use the implications of the theory and definition to evaluate existing measures of tactical voting; and to further appraise measures of tactical voting from general methodological considerations. This Note focuses on tactical voting in single-member simple-plurality electoral systems. The following section argues that the range of situations where it may be optimal to vote tactically is both broader and less well defined than previous authors have generally realized. This implies that both the definition, and therefore the measurement, of tactical voting rest mainly on the criteria of voting for a party other than the first choice and doing so in order to best influence who wins. The empirical section examines various approaches to the measurement of tactical voting and argues that the Heath et al. measure is a priori the most attractive available. Furthermore, detailed analysis using British Election Study (BES) data from English voters in 1987, 1992 and 1997, shows that whilst the Heath et al. measure is relatively robust, it can be usefully revised to improve consistency with the strength-of-feeling scores. A corresponding method for identifying a voter's preferred party is also presented.

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