There is a hit of approaches to the social sciences that autumn nether the umbrella of "actor-centered" theories ( link ). The...
There is a hit of approaches to the social sciences that autumn nether the umbrella of "actor-centered" theories (link). The master copy crevice with these theories is that betwixt "thin" too "thick" theories of the histrion -- theories which render less or to a greater extent than particular virtually the mental frameworks too beliefs of the actors existence described. The extremes of the 2 types of theories hit from pure rational pick theory to social psychology too ethnography. The 2 types of theories accept complementary strengths too weaknesses. Thin theories, including especially rational pick theory too game theory, brand role of a especially lean theory of the actor’s conclusion framework. This approach provides a footing for representing the motives too decisions of actors that tin endure readily incorporated into powerful techniques of simulation too calculation. Thick theories, including pragmatist too ethnomethodological theories, offering a footing for investigating particular social settings of activeness inward detail, too they render an in-depth footing for explaining too agreement the choices, judgments, too behaviour of the individuals they study. But thick theories are non too then readily incorporated into simulation models, exactly because they create non render abstract, full general characterizations of the individual’s activeness framework.
These comments brand the contrast audio similar a familiar laid upward of oppositions: nomothetic explanation versus idiographic interpretation; causal explanation versus hermeneutic interpretation. And this inward plough suggests that rational pick theory volition endure proficient at arriving at generalizations, whereas pragmatist too ethnographic theories volition endure proficient at providing satisfying interpretations of the actions of individuals inward concrete social too historical circumstances, only non especially proficient at providing a footing for full general explanations.
The province of affairs is non quite too then binary equally this suggests, however. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 primal tool for actor-centered interrogation is laid upward of simulation techniques falling nether the rubric of agent-based models. To engagement ABMs accept tended to role lean theories of the histrion to stand upward for the players inward the simulation. However, it is exclusively possible for agent-based models to contain substantially greater levels of specificity too granularity virtually the activeness frameworks of the individuals inward specific circumstances. An ABM tin innovate unlike kinds of agents into a simulation, each of which embodies a specific laid upward of beliefs too modes of reasoning. And it tin endure argued that this increase inward granularity provides a footing for a improve simulation of complex social processes involving heterogeneous kinds of actors.
For example, a simulation of the political appeal of a nationalistic politico similar Donald Trump may create goodness past times segmenting the electorate into unlike categories of voters: white nationalists, aging blue-collar workers, anti-globalization immature people, .... And the model should stand upward for the fact that actors inward these diverse segments accept substantially unlike ways of making political judgments too actions. So ABM simulations tin indeed create goodness from greater “thickness” of assumptions virtually agents. (This was illustrated inward the give-and-take of the Epstein rebellion model earlier; link.)
On the other hand, it is possible to role RCT too DBO theories to illuminate historically particular instances of activeness -- for example, the analysis of historically situated collective activeness along the lines of Margaret Levi's review inward "Reconsiderations of Rational Choice inward Comparative too Political Analysis" (link). These theories tin endure applied to specific social circumstances too tin render convincing too satisfying interpretations of the reasoning too actions of the agents who are involved. So narrative explanations of social outcomes tin endure constructed using both thick too lean assumptions virtually the actors.
Moreover, the explanatory forcefulness of thick theories is non express to the bird to which they tin endure incorporated into formal simulations -- what tin endure referred to equally "aggregation dynamics". It is clear that existent explanations of of import phenomena emerge from interrogation past times sociologists similar Michele Lamont inward link), Al Young inward link), too Erving Goffman inward link). We sympathise improve the dynamics of the French professional person classes, inner metropolis neighborhoods, too asylums when nosotros read the detailed too rigorous treatments that micro-sociologists render of these social settings.
What this suggests is that analytical sociology would endure good advised to encompass pluralism when it comes to theories of the histrion too methods of application of actor-based research. Thick too lean are non logical contraries, only rather complementary ways of analyzing too explaining the social worlds nosotros inhabit.
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