Economic Imperialism? Homo Economicus and Sociological Theory

Talcott Parsons's theory of social action (1968) is drawn on to contest the application of economics-based models of behavior to noneconomic subjects. It is argued that sociological theories based on economic action theory, normative individualism, & utilitarianism (eg, James M. Buchanan�...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inZeitschrift für Soziologie Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 79 - 95
Main Author Aretz, Hans-Jurgen
Format Journal Article
LanguageGerman
Published 01.04.1997
Subjects
Action Theory
Economic Theories
Social Action
Social Order
Sociological Theory
Theoretical Problems
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Summary:Talcott Parsons's theory of social action (1968) is drawn on to contest the application of economics-based models of behavior to noneconomic subjects. It is argued that sociological theories based on economic action theory, normative individualism, & utilitarianism (eg, James M. Buchanan's [eg, 1984] theory of public choice & social contract) are incomplete explanations of social phenomena because they reduce social action to a single logic. It is suggested that full interpretations of the social order must take into account at least three principles other than the economic principle of utilization: (1) a principle of solidarity related to collective tradition & the tendency toward social persistence; (2) an effectivity principle related to power & the struggle for it; & (3) a consistency principle related to culture, social acceptance, & the general identity of a social order. 86 References. Adapted from the source document.
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ISSN:0340-1804