300074 New Developments in Rational Choice Theory (S) (SoSe 2017)

When some sociologists talk about – and, in doing so, blaming – rational choice theory they refer in most of the cases to a very simple model, easy to tackle and even in economics regarded as completely outdated. In fact, this popular understanding of rational choice theory has nothing to do with the different derivatives of the basic model which are discussed and used within economics and the other social sciences nowadays. The major aim of this class is to introduce these different theoretical approaches and to discuss how they can be fruitful for an analytical sociology that aims to deliver empirical proofed explanations instead of weasel words.