Motives and Mechanisms
Dec 28, 2015
Motives and Mechanisms
Motives and Mechanisms Theories include causal relations
and causal mechanisms. Mechanisms are an essential
component of theory.
Mechanisms Statements of causal relations tell
us that two factors are related Mechanisms tell us WHY
Describe the process through which X produces Y
Mechanisms are general For example:
Self-fulfilling prophecy (Merton) Network diffusion (Coleman) Threshold theory of collective action
(Granovetter) These theories explain different
phenomena, but rely on the same MECHANISM (Hedstrom & Swedberg 1998 Social Mechanisms: An Analytical Approach to Social Theory)
Mechanisms usually refer to lower-level processes
Causal mechanisms usually explain higher-level phenomena by referring to events at a lower level.
So, mechanisms explaining social behavior usually refer to individuals Social theories require understanding
why individuals act as they do
The challenge Typically, we cannot observe these
mechanisms While action is observable, motives
are not
What to do? Make simplifying assumptions These assumptions don’t describe the
full complexity of human beings, but are useful for developing social theories
Common assumptions Individuals will maximize
Wealth Power Prestige
Macro-level
cause
Individual internal states
Situational mechanisms
Transformational mechanisms
Types of Mechanisms
Behavioral mechanisms
Macro-level Outcome
Individual action
Situational mechanisms Explain how macro-level
phenomena affects individuals
Individualism
Lack of Purpose
Example. Durkheim: IntegrationLack of purpose
Individual Suicide
Suicide Rates
Transformational mechanisms
Explain how individual actions combine to produce group-level phenomena
Example. Individual Suicide Suicide RatesProtestantism
Individualism
Individual Suicide
Suicide Rates
Transformational Mechanisms
Aggregation Strategic Interaction (game theory)
Behavioral mechanisms How individual internal states affect individual behavior
In other words, how people act given their motives and situations
Protestantism
Individualism Individual Suicide
Suicide Rates
Example: Individualism Individual Suicide
Behavioral assumptions An important source of causal
mechanisms in sociology
Max Weber (1864-1920)
Max Weber (1864-1920) on ‘orientations to action’ I. Consequentialist
Instrumental action (zweckrationalitat)
People choose a course of action that they believe is the most effective to attain their most preferred end (or goal)
Works for any end Has to do with the ‘rationality’ of the
means, not the ‘rationality’ of the ends
‘orientations to action’ cont’d II. Non-consequentialist action
Value-rational (wertrational) Action motivated because of
Duty, right, or its own sake Sir Thomas More. “A Man for All Seasons”
Affective Action motivated by emotion (affect)
Crimes of passion
Reflex Habit
Nota Bene Non-consequentialist action occurs regardless of its consequences for the individual’s welfare
Typical asumptions Typical sociologist assumption:
People are value rational People have been socialized
Typical economist assumption People are instrumentally rational
A caveat Neither view is completely
accurate
Motives differ Fehr & Gintis report evidence
suggesting that people vary Some are instrumentally rational
(self-interested) Others are more value rational
(“strong-reciprocators”)
Are we hard-wired? While sociologists have
traditionally emphasized socialization as a source of values, work by evolutionary psychologists suggests that evolution is a factor
Evolution produces widely shared human values
Behavioral assumptions and social order Social order is high to the degree that
individuals obey rules and laws If people are instrumentalists with selfish
goals, they may undermine social order criminal behavior
If people are value-rational who always want to ‘do the right thing,’ they will tend to uphold the social order (at least in their own societies)
September 11
Analyzing Theory Identify
Cause Outcome Mechanisms
Applying Theory Ask: What are the empirical
implications?