A sociological and psychological theory holding that people evaluate relationships and interactions through a cost-benefit analysis, weighing what each party gives and receives and deciding whether to continue an exchange based on how beneficial and fair it feels over time.
Facts
Core ClaimSourced to the subject's own accountSocial relationships function like economic exchanges in which each party controls resources the other values; a norm of reciprocity, that a benefit received should be returned without harming the giver, stabilizes relationships and tempers pure self-interest. 1 Origin YearSourced to the subject's own account1958 marks George Homans's foundational paper "Social Behavior as Exchange"; the fullest versions of the theory were developed across the following decade by Homans, Peter Blau, John Thibaut and Harold Kelley, and, from the kinship-exchange angle already on this atlas, Claude Levi-Strauss. Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
Both are exchange-logic accounts of social relations; the exchange-theory literature itself names Claude Levi-Strauss, already Alliance Theory's developer on this atlas, among its contributors, applying the same reciprocity logic to kinship exchange rather than everyday relationships generally.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Social Exchange Theory
WikipediaOpening definition, descriptionQuote, Opening definition, description
Social exchange theory is a sociological and psychological theory that explains how people behave in relationships by using cost-benefit analysis to determine risks and benefits.
1. Wikipedia: Social Exchange Theory
WikipediaReciprocity norm section, core claimQuote, Reciprocity norm section, core claim
a benefit should be returned and the one who gives the benefit should not be harmed.
1. Wikipedia: Social Exchange Theory
WikipediaHistory section, originQuote, History section, origin
the most comprehensive social exchange theories are those of the American social psychologists John W. Thibaut and Harold H. Kelley, the American sociologists George C. Homans, Peter M. Blau, Richard Marc Emerson, and Claude Levi-Strauss.
1. Wikipedia: Social Exchange Theory
WikipediaHistory section, Levi-Strauss link to Alliance TheoryQuote, History section, Levi-Strauss link to Alliance Theory
the American sociologists George C. Homans, Peter M. Blau, Richard Marc Emerson, and Claude Levi-Strauss.
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