DISS LESSON 3 PART 1:

APPROACHES IN SOCIAL SCIENCES

In the previous lesson, we went through the various disciplines of the social sciences. Now, we will study
the theories used in these disciplines.

What is a theory?1

Social Scientists study social events, interactions, and patterns, and they develop a theory in an attempt
to explain why things work as they do. A sociological theory seeks to explain social phenomena.
Theories can be used to create a testable proposition, called a hypothesis, about society (Allan 2006).

Sociological theory is constantly evolving and should never be considered complete. Classic sociological
theories are still considered important and current, but new sociological theories build upon the work of
their predecessors and add to them (Calhoun 2002).

1. RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY

BIG IDEA: INDIVIDUAL ACTION ARE GUIDED BY ONE’S PREFERENCES, WHICH ARE DICTATED BY
THE PERSON’S WANTS AND NEEDS
- Explains that human action and behavior are products of choice.
- Individuals rationalize their situations by processing between the most beneficial choice and
the lesser individual cost.
- In RCT, cost- benefit analysis is always performed in every given situation and is considered
an instinctual response of every human.
- Cost is something disadvantageous to or what is lost by an individual, while Benefit is that
which is gained by or advantageous to the individual after making the choice.
- Some of the questions commonly asked during a cost- benefit analysis are as follows:
a. Will this benefit me?
b. How will this benefit me?
c. What will benefit me most?
d. How far am I willing to negotiate?
e. What will I have to sacrifice?
f. How much will it cost me?
- For example, Ephraim has two classmates whom he wants to be friends with: Louis a social
outcast but has the newest action game, and Epi, the most popular in the class but does not
like to play action games. Ephraim’s first level of cost- benefit analysis is choosing between
having the chance to play the newest action game or not. The second level of cost- benefit
analysis is choosing whether he would like to be associated he would like to be associated
with a social outcast or with the most popular student in class. The rational choice for
Ephraim would then be dependent on which is more important to him- to play the game or
to be associated with the popular crowd.
- This example provides the basic principle of Rational Choice Theory wherein preference
pays an important role in decision- making, while the individual rationalizes the burdens and
benefits of the available choices.

1
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-introductiontosociology/chapter/reading-theoretical-
perspectives/
 - The Basic Assumptions of the Rational Choice Theory:
a. Individuals act purely on self- interest
b. Individuals understand their interests enough to rationally categorize
them according to what they most prefer.
c. Preferences are transitive in nature. This means that choices have a
hierarchical order, and that the highest preference will always be
favored.
- A famous example of RCT is the Prisoner’s Dilemma. Two recently released convicts
committed a crime. However, investigators of the case lack sufficient evidence to prove
their guilt. As a scheme, the investigators had the two suspects held in separate rooms
where they told that if they tell on the other, they would be freed. This condition allows one
of them to go free, while the other faces incarceration. Since both will think that the one is
already betraying the other, both would indeed decide to betray the other, causing both of
them to be incarcerated.
- This example proves that individual self- interest weighs heavily in the process of choice
making.

KEY CONCEPTS IN RATIONAL CHOICE THEORY

- Humanity’s wants and perpetual desires drove civilizations to either their prominence or
destruction.
- With natural resources being finite and the requirements of human ambition unending, the
most rational choice is to conserve the limited resources and share these with each other.
- However, the problem is that individuals only seek self- interest and would end up deciding
what benefits them the most.
- Such is the structure of human nature when being described in the context of RCT.
- The tragedy of the commons further elaborates this structure.
- The tragedy of the commons is a scenario wherein a common piece of land is shared for
grazing by a community. Because the grass that grows on the land is limited, farmers need
to limit their herd when grazing so that the land could keep up with the requirements of the
community. The tragedy in this scenario starts when farmer lets his herd graze more than
what is allotted, thinking that such action would provide him with better profits. If the
farmers would all think of the same, the land will eventually become useless to the
community. When the land is already unusable, the farmer would just resort to letting his
herd graze more because after all, there will be nothing left.
- Plato discussed in The Republic this very notion of exploitation by the unchecked freedoms
of people.
- Without justice, people would consume as much as they like and would eventually deplete
the resources common to all.
- Thomas Hobbes philosophized that only the thing could prevent the pillaging of the public
or common goods is the absolute monarch, which he calls LEVIATHAN.

CRITICISMS AND LIMITATIONS

- RCT is heavily criticized for its neglect of ethical and moral standards.
- The main philosophy of RCT is the acquisition of personal interests, power, and wealth.
- It is not strict with the method and the product of decision- making; rather, it analyzes the
outcome and the preferences based on what is optimal and ultimately beneficial for the
individual actor.
- The tragedy of the commons and others reflect today’s society- the widening gap between
the poor and the rich, rising global temperatures, and political corruption. These events are
but a few effects of weighing personal gain over the good of the many.

References:

Alejandira- Gonzales, Maria Carinnes P. (2016). DIWA Senior High School Series: Disciplines and
Ideas in the Social Sciences. Diwa Texbooks. Makati City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGyZX0VoRpI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj_gLquca7Q

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3KlgxYhDbk