Sociology and economics rest on opposite models of the actor.

Evidence

There are two broad intellectual streams in the description and explanation of social action. One, characteristic of the work of most sociologists, sees the actor as socialized and action as governed by social norms, rules, and obligations. … The other intellectual stream, characteristic of the work of most economists, sees the actor as having goals independently arrived at, as acting independently, and as wholly self-interested. — Coleman, SocialCapitalCreation-1988, 8

Categorization

• DEFINE: A clean distillation of the two competing models of social action.
• XREF: This maps directly onto the reader’s Coleman-vs-institutions framing, and to the sociology/economics divide familiar from rational-choice sociology debates. — connects to: Economists have begun importing sociological insights about social organization into exchange theory — Coleman, SocialCapitalCreation-1988, 21; Economic and sociological paradigms of race correct each other’s weaknesses but both remain inadequate; Social outcomes depend on joint causation, making individualist rule-following wrong for policy (+2 more)

Related

• Economic assumptions of atomized action contradict observed social reality (similarity 0.83)
• Utilitarian sociology reduces the other to an obstacle to the actor’s goals. (similarity 0.80)
• Sociological theory lacks a mechanism explaining why actors act. (similarity 0.79)
• Social outcomes depend on joint causation, making individualist rule-following wrong for policy (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Economists have begun importing sociological insights about social organization into exchange theory #qualifies (0.82) — Coleman, SocialCapitalCreation-1988, 21
• Economic and sociological paradigms of race correct each other’s weaknesses but both remain inadequate #exemplifies (0.78)
• Economic and sociological paradigms of race define themselves through mutual correction #exemplifies (0.78)
• Social outcomes depend on joint causation, making individualist rule-following wrong for policy #expands (0.75)