Opening black boxes: Jon Elster’s methodological contributions to social sciences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/2176-6665.2020v25n2p393Keywords:
Jon Elster, Social Mechanisms, Methodology, Social sciencesAbstract
This article aims to present what we regard as the Jon Elster’s main contribution to methodological concern in social science. Despite the vastness and complexity of his work, this is an introductory paper. Elster’s main concept is social mechanisms, which allows social sciences to produce theories with greater capacity of explanation. Before we get to methodological synthesis on Elster, we will explore some fundamental ideas that help us to understand the author’s stance. Thus, we approach methodological individualism, rational choice theory, causal explanations, then we will dedicate some pages to the social mechanisms concept, presenting definitions, examples, a typology, his main contributions for social sciences and some limitations of his work. We conclude that the social mechanisms concept seems rich and usable in the field of social sciences research. Despite of its high level of sophistication, the main concept has some limitations, as we can see in the final section.Downloads
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References
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SHEPSLE, Kenneth. Analyzing politics: rationality, behavior, and institutions. New York: Norton & Company, 1997.
STINCHCOMBE, Arthur Leonard. Monopolistic competition as a mechanism: corporations, universities, and nation-states in competitive fields. In: HEDSTRÖM, Peter; SWEDBERG, Richard (org.). Social mechanisms: an analytical approach to social theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. p. 267-305.
TSEBELIS, George. Jogos ocultos: escolha racional no campo da política comparada. São Paulo: Edusp, 1998.
WEBER, Max. A ética protestante e o espírito do capitalismo. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2004.
COMBESSIE, Jean-Claude. O método em sociologia: o que é, como faz. São Paulo: Edições Loyola, 2004.
DURKHEIM, Émile. O suicídio: estudo de sociologia. São Paulo: WMF Martins Fontes, 2011.
ELSTER, Jon. A plea for mechanisms. In: HEDSTRÖM, Peter; SWEDBERG, Richard (org.). Social mechanisms: an analytical approach to social theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. p. 45-73.
ELSTER, Jon. Explaining social behavior: more nuts and bolts for the Social Sciences. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
ELSTER, Jon. Explaining technical changes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983.
ELSTER, Jon. Making sense of Marx. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1985.
ELSTER, Jon. Peças e engrenagens das ciências sociais. Rio de Janeiro: Relume Dumará, 1994.
FOUCAULT, Michel. Vigiar e punir: nascimento da prisão. Petrópolis: Vozes, 1977.
GIDDENS, Anthony. A constituição da sociedade. São Paulo: Martins Fontes, 2009.
HEDSTRÖM, Peter; SWEDBERG, Richard. Social mechanisms: an introductory essay. In: HEDSTRÖM, Peter; SWEDBERG, Richard (org.). Social mechanisms: an analytical approach to social theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. p. 1-31.
HEISE, David Reuben Jerome. Causal analysis. New York: J. Wiley & Sons, 1975.
HÉRITIER, Adrienne. Causal explanation. In: DELLA PORTA, Donatella; KEATING, Michael (ed.). Approaches and methodologies in the social sciences: a pluralist perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. p. 61-79.
HOMANS, George Caspar. Social behaviour: its elementary forms. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1961.
KIRSCHBAUM, Charles. Decisões entre pesquisas quali e quanti sob a perspectiva de mecanismos causais. Revista Brasileira de Ciências Sociais, São Paulo, v. 28, n. 82, p. 179-193, jun. 2013.
LITTLE, Daniel. Varieties of social explanation. Oxford: Westview Press, 1991.
MERTON, Robert King. Sociologia: teoria e estrutura. São Paulo: Mestre Jou, 1970.
PATEMAN, Carole. Participação e teoria democrática. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra, 1992.
RAGIN, Charles Christopher. The comparative method: moving beyond qualitative and quantitative strategies. Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1987.
RATTON JÚNIOR, José Luiz de Amorim; MORAIS, Jorge Ventura de. Para ler Jon Elster: limites e possibilidades da explicação por mecanismos nas ciências sociais. Dados: Revista de Ciências Sociais, Rio de Janeiro, v. 46, n. 2, p. 385-410, 2003.
SCHELLING, Thomas Crombie. Social mechanisms and social dynamics. In: HEDSTRÖM, Peter; SWEDBERG, Richard (org.). Social mechanisms: an analytical approach to social theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. p. 32-44.
SHEPSLE, Kenneth. Analyzing politics: rationality, behavior, and institutions. New York: Norton & Company, 1997.
STINCHCOMBE, Arthur Leonard. Monopolistic competition as a mechanism: corporations, universities, and nation-states in competitive fields. In: HEDSTRÖM, Peter; SWEDBERG, Richard (org.). Social mechanisms: an analytical approach to social theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998. p. 267-305.
TSEBELIS, George. Jogos ocultos: escolha racional no campo da política comparada. São Paulo: Edusp, 1998.
WEBER, Max. A ética protestante e o espírito do capitalismo. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 2004.
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Published
2020-08-25
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VENTURELLI, Gustavo. Opening black boxes: Jon Elster’s methodological contributions to social sciences. Mediações - Revista de Ciências Sociais, Londrina, v. 25, n. 2, p. 393–411, 2020. DOI: 10.5433/2176-6665.2020v25n2p393. Disponível em: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/mediacoes/article/view/37569. Acesso em: 3 nov. 2024.
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