INDIVIDUAL PORTFOLIO

IN
Discipline and Ideas in the Social
Science
(RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY)

SUBMITTED BY:
DITHRO DAG-UM LUNGAT
GRADE 11 HUMSS - A
PERSONAL CRITIQUE/COMMENTARY/REACTION ABOUT RATIONAL CHOICE
THEORY

 Rational choice theory is an alternative approach to the theory of social action to that
covered thus far. Individual and group activities are considered social in the sense that
they are concerned with meaning, interpretation, interaction, symbols, self-definition,
feelings, emotions, and how people do things together, according to the ideas stated
previously. Weber and Parsons diverge from the interactionists in how they define
meaning and the relative weight they place on subjective consciousness vs practice.
All of these viewpoints, however, highlight that behavior is social in the sense that
social values and standards, as well as social order, are central to their explanations of
human interaction. Each of these methods stresses shared meanings and how
interpretation and action are worked out collaboratively through a wide range of
expressive features of human behavior. Rational choice theories address the study of
social activity, human agency, and social systems and structures in a unique way.

 According to Peter Abell, Rational Choice Theory is defined as "understanding

individual actors... as behaving, or more likely interacting, in such a way that they
may be regarded to be doing the best they can for themselves, given their aims,
resources, and circumstances, as they view them". There are various varieties of
rational choice theory, as with other sociological viewpoints, but each tends to vary
from other sociological perspectives.

 Rational choice theory also aims to understand and frame social and economic
behavior. Rational choice theory employs a very particular and restrictive definition
of "rational," implying that the individual acts as if he or she is weighing costs and
benefits to arrive at a position that optimizes their advantage. Economists believe that
patterns of conduct in society are a reflection of individuals striving to maximize their
benefits while minimizing their costs, according to rational choice theory. Patterns of
conduct form in society as people make these decisions.

 People will choose the object that delivers the greatest reward at the lowest cost,
according to rational choice theory. Individuals will make decisions and assess which
course of action will offer the most satisfaction because they cannot have everything
they want. Rational choice theory, according to its detractors, has a number of flaws.
One critique is that it places too much emphasis on the individual and ignores wider
social institutions. Second, rational choice theory is unable to account for collective
behavior. Critics claim that if an individual's actions are made solely for personal
gain, he or she will never choose a course of action that benefits others, such as
philanthropic initiatives. Third, rational choice theory is unable to explain why some
people act selflessly and in ways that are contrary to their own best interests.
 Three statements summarize the basic principles underlying rational choice theory:
(1) explaining a social phenomenon means making it the result of a set of statements,
all of which should be easily acceptable; (2) a good sociological theory is one that
interprets any social phenomenon as the result of individual actions; and (3) actions
should be analyzed as "rational." According to Hollis (1977), "rational action is its
own explanation." James Coleman (1986) goes even farther, stating that an action
may be considered "explained" if and only if it is considered "rational." As a result,
"rational acts of people have a distinct attraction as the foundation for social theory”.
If an institution or a social process can be explained in terms of rational actions of
individuals, then and only then can we say that it has been explained. As for Gary
Becker, he makes the critical statement that the social sciences can analyze behavior
along two basic dimensions, rational and irrational, with the latter consisting in
explaining: "The utility-maximizing method is surprisingly effective in unifying a
broad class of behavior". "I do not believe that any other method, whether based on
cultural, biological, or psychological processes, can provide equal insights and
explanatory power" (Becker 1996). This mean, as soon as a social phenomenon can
be explained as the outcome of rational individual actions, the explanation invites no
further questions. In short, there are no black boxes. Irrational explanations, on the
other hand, always add multiple forms of forces, raising more concerns about their
nature or even actuality. Becker goes on to say that the "utility-maximizing method,"
as Rational Choice Theory is often known, may be extended to incorporate
endogenous preferences.