RATIONAL CHOICE

Introduction

Rational choice theory is the view that people behaveas

they do because they believe that performing their
chosen actions has more benefits than costs.

That is, people make rational choices based on their

goals, and those choices govern their behavior.

Some sociologists use rational choice theory to explain

social change. According to them, social change
occurs because individuals have made rational choices.
For example, suppose many people begin to conserve
more energy, lowering thermostats and driving less. An
explanation for this social change is that individual
people have decided that conserving energy will help
them achieve their goals (for example, save money and
live more healthfully) and cause little inconvenience.

Critics argue people do not always act on the basis of

cost-benefit analyses.
 ASSUMPTIONS
Humans are purposive and goal oriented.
 Humans have sets of hierarchically ordered
preferences, or utilities.
 In choosing lines of behavior, humans make rational
calculations with respect to:
 the utility of alternative lines of conduct with
reference to the preference hierarchy
 the costs of each alternative in terms of utilities
foregone
 the best way to maximize utility.
 Emergent social phenomena -- social structures,
collective decisions, and collective behavior--are
ultimately the result of rational choices made
by utility-maximizing individuals.
 Emergent social phenomena that arise from rational
choices constitute a set of parameters for subsequent
rational choices of individuals inthe sense that they
determine:
 the distribution of resources among individuals
 the distributionof opportunities for various lines
of
behavior
 the distribution and nature of norms and obligations
in a situation.
Attempts to explain all (conforming and deviant)
social phenomenon in terms of how self-interested
individuals make choices under the influence of their
preferences. It treats social exchange as similar to
economic exchange where all parties try to
maximize their advantage or gain, and to minimize
their disadvantage or loss.
 RCT's basic premises
1. Human beings base their behavior on rational
calculations,
2. They actwith rationality when making choices,
3. Their choices ar aimed at optimization of their
pleasure or profit.
RCT, however, cannot explain the existence of
certain social phenomenon such as altruism,
reciprocity, and trust, and why individuals
voluntarily join associations and groups where
collective and not individual benefits are pursued.
 STRENGTHS
Comprehensive rationality holds great appeal as a
model of choice over other models. The
 Approach lays out a logical and deliberative
framework for planning practice marking one of its
core strengths.(Hudson,1979). These include
identifying a particular problem, setting goals,
articulating aims and objectives, predicting and
projecting outcomes, testing and implementing
plans of action. (Alexander, 1986, Branch 1975) in
Raine 2005. The model also considers a wide range
of alternatives and ensures that only the best plan
of action is chosen and implemented.
 CRITICISMS

It is naive to assume a stable and widely accepted

values to structure goal setting.
 It is difficult to have each person agree on common
goals as each and every person perceives issues
differently and have different interests. Incorporating
all this differences would pose a big challenge to the
planners. More over not everyone can, and should,
accept and adopt one form of universal values and
beliefs.
Human beings cannot comprehend everything nor
can they even fully comprehend one planning
aspect.
 Concerning the need to develop alternative
approaches, critics censor comprehensive
rationality. The nature of the problems and the
complexity of the environment would generate an
unmanageable number of alternatives to consider.
 It is important to note that all activities directed
towards allocation and reallocation of the scarce
resources is essentially political. Rational decision
making model tend to ignore this dimension of
social planning.
 CONCLUSION
 Despite the criticism levelled against rational
comprehensive approach to planning, the approach has
taken root in most countries as the paradigm of choice and
is the most utilised approach in decision – making. For it
has the goal of maximising efficiency by picking the best
alternative based on specific criteria and also provides a
structured way to address a problem and arrive at a
solution.

 However in order to realise total success it is important to

incorporate political interactions and public participation
in the planning and decision making process.