2 thoughts on “Theories in Lichbach – Sachal Jacob”
Very nice summary here. Does anyone have a different take on Lichbach? Things to add?
Thinking about what else we have read this semester — who fits under each of these theoretical traditions – rational choice, structuralism, culturalism? Do you see the faults that Lichbach sees in these different approaches, as they are used by authors like Weber (culture, or arguably also structuralism?) What approach is Mitchell-Walthour using?
Not so much as a different take, but I think, just to add onto a great summary, that central to Lichbach’s argument is the way he views culture, institutions, and the individual, and the way that these play into the movement and relationships in RCT. For him, the only moving part of RCT is the individual because both culture and institutions are human-made structures. This view and definition of specific relationships really then play into the idea that RCT is a moderate and appropriate approach to take when digging into the questions and research projects we form because of the way that individuals then act in ways that best shape their personal preferences in terms of outputs and returns. When the institution or culture do not fit into the preferences of the individuals shaping policy or leading countries, they are then going to try to shape the institutions and culture to then get the benefits and returns they want to see.
Very nice summary here. Does anyone have a different take on Lichbach? Things to add?
Thinking about what else we have read this semester — who fits under each of these theoretical traditions – rational choice, structuralism, culturalism? Do you see the faults that Lichbach sees in these different approaches, as they are used by authors like Weber (culture, or arguably also structuralism?) What approach is Mitchell-Walthour using?
Not so much as a different take, but I think, just to add onto a great summary, that central to Lichbach’s argument is the way he views culture, institutions, and the individual, and the way that these play into the movement and relationships in RCT. For him, the only moving part of RCT is the individual because both culture and institutions are human-made structures. This view and definition of specific relationships really then play into the idea that RCT is a moderate and appropriate approach to take when digging into the questions and research projects we form because of the way that individuals then act in ways that best shape their personal preferences in terms of outputs and returns. When the institution or culture do not fit into the preferences of the individuals shaping policy or leading countries, they are then going to try to shape the institutions and culture to then get the benefits and returns they want to see.