Social Mechanisms: An Analytical Approach to Social Theory / Edition 1

by Peter Hedström, Richard Swedberg

Overview

The mechanism approach calls attention to an intermediary level of analysis, in between pure description and story-telling, on the one hand, and grand theorizing and universal social laws, on the other. These essays, written by prominent social scientists, advance criticisms of current trends in social theory and suggest alternative approaches. For social theory to be of use for the working social scientist, it must attain a high level of precision and provide a toolbox from which middle range theories can be constructed.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521596879
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	01/13/1998
Series:	Studies in Rationality and Social Change
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	356
Product dimensions:	5.55(w) x 8.54(h) x 0.83(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; List of contributors; 1. Social mechanisms: an introductory essay Peter Hedström and Richard Swedberg; 2. Social mechanisms and social dynamics Thomas C. Schelling; 3. A plea for mechanisms Jon Elster; 4. Real virtuality Gudmund Hernes; 5. Concatenations of mechanisms Diego Gambetta; 6. Do economists use social mechanisms to explain? Tyler Cowen; 7. Social mechanisms of dissonance reduction Timur Kuran; 8. Social mechanisms without black boxes Raymond Boudon; 9. Is sociological theory too grand for social mechanisms? Axel van den Berg; 10. Theoretical mechanisms and the empirical study of social processes Aage B. Sørensen; 11. Monopolistic competition as a mechanism: corporations, universities, and nation-states in competitive fields Arthur L. Stinchcombe; 12. Rational imitation Peter Hedström; Indexes.