Social exchange theory definitions and examples businesstopia. The genesis of social exchange theory goes back to 1958, when american sociologist george homans published an article entitled social behavior as exchange. Social exchange theory is a social psychology concept that views human relationships as a kind of resultsdriven social behavior. The next year, he was offered a professorship at the. According to this theory, developed by sociologist george homans, people weigh the potential benefits and risks of social relationships. According to this theory, developed by sociologist george homans, people weigh the. With rigor, clarity, and a wideranging intellectual purview, george c. History, theory, and method does george homans proud.
Illustrates effort to fuse the principles of behaviorism and economics with other ideas and apply them to the concerns of sociologists. According to exchange theory, we as individuals are motivated out of selfinterest and that we make decisions based on maximizing our rewards or profits and minimizing our costs. These original essays are intended to elucidate, assess, and give a progress report on the theoretical. The chapters have been written by sociologists and psychologists who value his work sufficiently to have made his basic approach their own. Social exchange theory suggests that these calculations occur in. Pdf on jan 1, 2015, thomas fararo and others published homans, george 1910 1989 find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Cook and alexandra gerbasi exchange, affect, and group relations edward j. In examining social behavior as exchange, homans 1961 drew.
Indeed, social exchange theory aims to explain what is not economic in social behavior. It is the first volume in over thirty years to offer a reappraisal of the life and work of one of the twentieth centurys leading social scientists. Its elementary forms are considered worldclassics in sociology. Social exchange theory states that people participate in behaviors that they find to be rewarding and they terminate behaviors that they find to be too costly appelrouth and edles, p. What are five propositions of exchange theory developed by. This book is designed to honor george caspar homans for his many and varied contributions to the development of modern sociology. Lawler homans and the study of justice guillermina jasso the return of the ghost of utilitarianism. Hence, such knowledge is composed of complex theoretical frameworks and methodology these theories range in. Merton at columbia university in 1952, laying an early theory for the dynamics of bureaucracy. Social exchange theory is the belief that people will help others only when the benefits to themselves outweigh the costs of helping.
Social exchange theory is the belief that people will help others only when the benefits to themselves outweigh the costs. What are five propositions of exchange theory developed by homans. Mar 20, 2014 the social exchange theory was established by george homans. George homans social behavior as exchange exchange theory as alternative to parsons grand theory. Homans 1958 advocated that scholars return to what he described as the oldest of theories of social behavior social behavior as exchange p. Homans exchange theory is part of the andragogy video series and is available for free as an ibook for download on the ipad. Jan 14, 2020 while social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist george homans, who wrote about it in a 1958 essay titled social behavior as exchange. A theory of social interaction based on the proposition that people expect rewards and costs from social exchange to be equitable. Skinners operant conditioning to human social interaction. Homans is best known for his research in social behavior and his works.
He defined social exchange as the exchange of activity, tangible or intangible and more or less rewarding or costly, between at least two people. George caspar homans 19101989 is widely regarded as the father of social exchange theory. According to them, the outcome of interaction should result in attraction and affiliation, also called rewards, among the persons of a group. Exchange theory of reward and cost outcome thaibaunt and kelly put forward their theory of group formation, stating the outcome of interaction as the basis of group formation. Homans devised a framework built on a combination of behaviorism and basic economics. George caspar homans 19101989 an american sociologist, was a leading theorist in developing testable hypotheses and explanations about fundamental social processes in small groups. Homans, the human group and elementary social behaviour. The field of sociology itself is a relatively new disciplinethus is sociological theory by extension. Much of social life involves interactions between individuals or corporate actors in dyads, groups, organizations or networks that can be viewed as social exchanges. Homans 1958 advocated that scholars return to what he described as the oldest of theories of social behaviorsocial behavior as exchange p. Interestingly, in his early writings, homans, never uses the phrase social exchange theory. George homans social behavior as exchange richard m. Less valuable actions by an individual member lead to less value reinforcement from other members.
Exchange is a fundamental and universal aspect of human behavior. Theories of group formation, homans theory, exchange theory. Apr 20, 2018 the genesis of social exchange theory goes back to 1958, when american sociologist george homans published an article entitled social behavior as exchange. After homans developed the theory, two other theorists. Both date back to the 18th and 19th centuries, periods of drastic social change, where societies would begin to see, for example, the emergence of industrialization, urbanization, democracy, and early capitalism, provoking particularly western thinkers to start becoming considerably more. Its elementary forms, his exchange theory and the many different propositions he made to better explain social behavior. The title of the ibook is andragogy is not adult pedagogy. Social exchange theory is a sociological and psychological theory that studies the social behavior in the interaction of two parties that implement a costbenefit analysis to determine risks and benefits. This is the main premise of social exchange theory. Also, the theory involves economic relationships, it occurs when each party have goods that the other parties value. Social exchange theory neither takes a utilitarian view of homo economicus nor does it assume risk.
This theory, born from concepts of economics and exchange, tells us how social interaction happens, and shows which are the key factors motivating us to engage. Social exchange theory varey major reference works. Homans, social behavior, its elementary forms, routledge, new york, 1961. Homans, george tried to explain the behavior defined in the broadest sense as a result of interaction in which individuals acquire, sell, or share resources. Homans developed this idea based off of skinners pigeon experiments and then applied it to humans. Sep 02, 20 this series of videos can be purchased as an itune bookfor free at the following url. George caspar homans biography, birth date, birth place. The social exchange framework was formally advanced in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the work of the sociologists george homans 1961 and peter blau 1964 and the work of social psychologists john thibaut and harold kelley 1959. Homansenter paper title find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Discussion address the critique that homans social exchange theory reduces human interaction to a purely rational process that arises from economic theory. History of the theory social exchange theory was developed in the year 1958, by the sociologist george homans. Homans in the 1960s uta gerhardt theorizing in sociology. Peter michael blau february 7, 1918 march 12, 2002 was an american sociologist and theorist. Base sociology on economics and behaviorist psychology dont worry about the inside, meaning, intention, and all that.
Pdf on nov 12, 2012, jacek tittenbrun and others published the the theory of social exchange of g. George caspar homans biography, birth date, birth place and. In the immediate years that followed, other studies expanded the parameters of homans. The purpose of this exchange is to maximize benefits and minimize costs. At its most basic, social exchange theory may be viewed as providing an economic metaphor to social relationships. For instance, both homans and blau and exchange theorists more generally portray individuals as strategic actors who use the resources they have at their disposal in an effort to optimize their rewards. Social exchange theory in psychology verywell mind. Homans, who introduced the social exchange theory, belonged to a family that produced 2 us presidents john adams and john quincy adams. This is what the social exchange theory says, and psychologenie explains this with some of its realworld examples. This series of videos can be purchased as an itune bookfor free at the following url. Born in vienna, austria, he immigrated to the united states in 1939. Social exchange theory proposes that social behavior is the result of an exchange process. George caspar homans an american sociologist, was a leading theorist in developing testable hypotheses and explanations about fundamental social processes in small groups.
Homan social exchange theory the version of socialexchange theory offered by homan incorporates aspects of b. While social exchange theory is found in economics and psychology, it was first developed by the sociologist george homans, who wrote about it in a 1958 essay titled social behavior as exchange. Social exchange theory grew out of the intersection of economics, psychology and sociology. Sep 30, 2014 according to exchange theory, we as individuals are motivated out of selfinterest and that we make decisions based on maximizing our rewards or profits and minimizing our costs. George homans was born august 11, 1910, in boston, massachusetts, the eldest child of robert homans, a lawyer and a fellow of harvard corporation, and of abigail adams homans. Understanding the social exchange theory with realworld. Two of his many books, the human group and social behaviour.
A sociological theory is a supposition that intends to consider, analyze, andor explain objects of social reality from a sociological perspective. Homans in social behavior as exchange 1958 made a conscious effort to identify and advance this point of view. Its elementary forms, his exchange theory and the many different. He was an instructor at harvard university from 1939 to 1941, an associate professor from 1946 to 1953. Emerson and those whose work subsequently built on their. According to george homans, the social behavior is an exchange of material goods, and it is also intangible, such as the symbols of approval and prestige. History, theory, and method offers original essays written by scholars from the fields of sociology, history, anthropology, and literature with the aim of assessing homanss rich and diverse intellectual contributions. George casper homans august 11, 1910 may 29, 1989 was an american sociologist, founder of behavioral sociology and a major contributor to the social exchange theory homans is best known for his research in social behavior and his works. It both reflects and builds upon the breadth of his accomplishments as a social scientist and allaround scholar. In 1961, he amplified his argument in social behavior.
To consider social behavior as an exchange of goods may clarify the relations among four bodies of theory. Homans abst ract to consider social behavior as an exchange of goods may clarify the relations among four bodies of the ory. Cl,r, doesnt speak to the issue of attraction or satisfaction. There is a certain amount of give and take in each relationship and the valuing of benefits and costs within them determine whether or not one chooses to continue that association. Kelley 19212003, the american sociologists george c. We choose to start and maintain relationships that maximize benefits and minimize costs. George casper homans august 11, 1910 may 29, 1989 was an american sociologist, founder of behavioral sociology and a major contributor to the social exchange theory. Homans enter paper title find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Aug 20, 20 homans exchange theory is part of the andragogy video series and is available for free as an ibook for download on the ipad. George homans, john thibaut, harold kelley, and peter blau. The first theory i will touch on is the social exchange theory set presented by george homans.
Held you could build a sociology on the psychological reductionism of punishment and reward. George homans was born august 11, 1910, in boston, massachusetts, the eldest child of robert homans, a lawyer and a fellow of harvard corporation, and of abigail. This chapter presents an overview of the main theories of social exchange focusing on the key contributors in sociology, including george homans, peter blau, richard m. According to hormans 1958, the initiator of the theory, it was developed to understand the social behavior of humans in economic undertakings. Homan argues that motivation is based on our desire for rewards, and the natural human tendency to increase rewards while minimizing costs. Do you believe all relationships are formed by the use of a subjective costbenefit analysis and the comparison of. George caspar homans an american sociologist, was a leading theorist in developing testable hypotheses and explanations about fundamental social processes in small groups george homans was born august 11, 1910, in boston, massachusetts, the eldest child of robert homans, a lawyer and a fellow of harvard corporation, and of abigail adams homans, a descendant of.
Originated during 1950s, primarily through george homans. A woman could be happy in her job, yet leave for a new position which offers even higher pay, better working conditions, or a more interesting assignment. Later, sociologists peter blau and richard emerson further developed the theory. It was developed by the us sociologist george caspar homans 191089 and expounded in his books the human group 1950 and social behavior. An essay or paper on george homans theory of social behavior. The social exchange theory proposes that all relations we either form, maintain, or break is due to a costbenefit analysis. Social exchange theory by george homans essay 1699 words. During the beginning of this theory, the most comprehensive social exchange theories are those of the american social psychologists john w. The fundamental difference between economic exchange and social exchange theory is in the way actors are viewed. Assumes that human behavior can be explained by natural laws. Social behavior as exchange, american journal of sociology 63. The social exchange theory was established by george homans.