Contrast rational choice theory’s view on norms with those of the structural functionalists. Then discuss the similarities and differences between rational choice and exchange theory. Taking into account concepts such as “power” and “social capital” explain which theory – from your perspective – most accurately accounts for everyday social behavior.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Like trust, Coleman sees norms emerging on the basis of actors’ rational considerations. More specifically, they develop out of repeated exchanges between a limited number of individuals who have an interest in maintaining a relationship with one another. The norms that emerge are not assumed to be universally shared across a society, but, instead, apply only to those individuals involved in the relationship. Decisions to adhere to and enforce norms, like those that led to their initial emergence, are conditioned by the relative costs and benefits derived from doing so. This view fundamentally contrasts with the one taken by collectivist theories such as structural functionalism where norms are taken as pre-existing “givens” more or less internalized universally by individuals within a social system. Here, norms become part of individuals’ cognitive makeup as processes of socialization lead to the acceptance and reproduction of particular normative codes of behavior, even those codes that reinforce relations of domination. From such a perspective how and why norms initially emerge and are adhered to are questions left largely unanswered. The same can be said for Homans’s incorporation of norms such as distributive justice into his version of exchange theory. He, too, assumes the presence of norms and thus either explains their emergence in an ad hoc fashion or attributes it to psychological principles innate to the individual. Norms are socially defined informal rights to control the actions of others. Rational choice theories share with exchange theories a view of the actor as a rational, purposive agent motivated by maximizing rewards. Beyond this similarity, however, a subtle yet important shift in emphasis distinguishes the two perspectives. While exchange theorists focus on the social relationships that develop as individuals strategically pursue optimum benefits, rational choice theorists focus on the decisions individuals make and, when combined with the decisions of others, their consequences both for the individuals and for the larger group of which they are a part.