KÖNNEN ÖKONOMIE UND SOZIOLOGIE VONEINANDER LERNEN? ZUM VERHÄLTNIS ZWISCHEN BEIDEN WISSENSCHAFTEN, MIT BESONDEREM BEZUG AUF DIE THEORIE DES WÄHLERVERHALTENS

Abstract

The starting point is the model of individual behaviour used by modern economic theory. The individualistically oriented branch of modern sociological theory is based on the same behavioural model, but stresses different aspects than economic theory does. While economic theory holds preferences constant and investigates how changes in the restrictions placed on individuals produce changes in their behaviour, sociological theory investigates how different social conditions give rise to different preferences (‘attitudes’) which then result in different ways of behaving. The theory of voting behaviour is given as an example to show how economic and sociological theory can gain from supplement each other. While sociological theory explains mainly long-term developments in voting behaviour as reactions to long-term changes in the society's basic social structure, economic theory mainly explains short-term variations in voting behaviour resulting from changes in economic and political factors. We conclude by discussing some misunderstandings held by sociologists concerning the economic approach. It is shown that once these misunderstandings are cleared up, economics not only can learn from sociology, but sociology can learn from economics as well.