December 4 - 8, 2006. Rational Choice Theory in Sociology: Theoretical Contributions and Empirical Applications
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Teaching Personnel
Norman Braun - Ludwig Maximilians Universität
Rational Choice Theory in Sociology: Theoretical Contributions and Empirical Applications
Rational Choice Theory (RCT) has become a general theoretical approach in sociology. Recent progress in economics and game theory has triggered the theoretical development of RCT.
The seminar will be concerned with important new ideas, concepts and questions of theory building. In addition, the seminar will illustrate empirical applications which cover very broad areas in sociology: marriage and divorce, fertility, consumer behavior, education, labor market processes, exchange in social networks or political decisions. A special focus will be directed at ‘anomalies’ of rational behavior. Again, we intend to cooperate with Prof Andreas Diekmann from Swiss Federal Institute (ETH) of Zurich (Switzerland) who is a leading scholar in empirical research based on RCT. Also we will cooperate with Prof Thomas Hinz from University of Konstanz, an accounted expert in empirical applications especially concerning research in entrepreneurship, education and labor market processes. Furthermore, Prof Raub from University of Utrecht (the Netherlands) will probably contribute to our seminar. He is an outstanding researcher concerning model building in game theory.
Reading List
- Becker, G./Murphy, K. (2000): Social Economics. Market Behavior in a Social Environment. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press. (req)
- Blossfeld, H.-P./Prein, G. (1998) (eds.): Rational Choice Theory and Large-Scale Data Analysis. Boulder (CO): Westview. (req)
- Boudon, R. (2003): Beyond Rational Choice Sociology. Annual Review of Sociology 29: 1-21. (req)
- Elster, J. (1989): The Cement of Society. Cambridge: University Press.
- Fehr, E./Schmidt, K. (1999): A theory of fairness, competition and cooperation. Quartely Journal of Economics 11: 817-868.
- Gintis, H. (2000): Game Theory Evolving. A Problem-Centered Introduction to Modelling Strategic Interaction. Princeton: Princeton University Press. (req)
- Green, D./Shapiro, A. (1996): Pathologies of Rational Choice Theory. A Critique of Application in Political Science. Yale: University Press. (req)
- Hechter, M./Kanazawa S. (1997): Sociological Rational Choice Theory. Annual Review of Sociology 23. (req).
- Petersen, T. (1994): On the Promise of Game Theory in Sociology, in: Contemporary Sociology (23): 498-502. (req)
- Rapoport, A. (2004): What is Rationality. In: Diekmann, A./Voss, Th. (eds.): Rational-Choice-Theorie in den Sozialwissenschaften. München: Oldenbourg. 33-59 (req)
req = required, the reading list will be completed according to the concrete research projects of the participants.
Contact
Chiara Bianchini - LMU Seminars Coordinator
Tel. + 39 041 2719511
Fax. + 39 041 2719510
