Table of Contents

Introduction - James S Coleman and Thomas J Farraro

PART ONE: THEMES OF ADVOCACY

The Method of Decreasing Abstraction - Siegwart Lindenberg

The Role of Models of Purposive Action in Sociology - Margaret Marini

Rational Choice as a Principle - David Willer

The Case of Elementary Theory

The Attainment of Global Order in Heterogeneous Societies - Michael Hechter, Debra Friedman and Satoshi Kanazawa

PART TWO: CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES

Rationality and Emotion - Thomas J Scheff

Homage to Norbert Elias

Rationality and Robustness in Multilevel Systems - Michael Hannan

Rational Choice Theory - Richard Munch

A Critical Assessment of Its Explanatory Power

PART THREE: RATIONAL CHOICE: PRO AND CON

The Limits of Rational Choice Explanation - James Bonham

Is Rational Choice Theory a Rational Choice Theory? - Peter Abell