Micro-Macro Links and Microfoundations in Sociology

2011/01/25 by WERNER RAUB, Werner Raub, Vincent Buskens +3 · 2 citations
Physics and Astronomy · Social Sciences · #Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice #Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation #Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence

paper · pdf · doi:10.1080/0022250x.2010.532263

crossref issued 2011/01/25 · crossref published 2011/01/25 · crossref published-print 2011/01/25 · openalex publication_date 2011/01/25 · crossref created 2011/02/10 · crossref deposited 2025/03/02 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/07/27 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29

Abstract

Using Coleman's well-known scheme as an anchor, we review key features of explanations of social phenomena that employ micro-macro models. Some antecedents of micro-macro models and of Coleman's scheme as well as some paradigmatic examples of micro-macro links are sketched. We then discuss micro-level assumptions in micro-macro explanations and the robustness of macro-level implications to variations in micro-level assumptions. We conclude with an overview of some recent developments in micro-macro modeling and of the contributions to the special issue.

Citations

• Social influence and opinions
• Gains, losses, and cooperation in social dilemmas and collective action: The effects of risk preferences
• Social Behavior as Exchange
• Causal Mechanisms in the Social Sciences
• The Evolution of Reciprocal Altruism
• Economic Action and Social Structure: The Problem of Embeddedness

Cited by

• Knowledge Cumulation and Survey Experiments
• Computational Social Science of Social Cohesion and Polarization

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• Coleman’s Boat Revisited: Causal Sequences and the Micro-macro Link
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