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Tables of Contents for Varieties of Social Explanation
Chapter/Section Title
Page #
Page Count
List of Examples
ix
List of Figures
xi
Acknowledgments
xiii
Introduction
1
12
Plan of the Book
2
1
Scientific Explanation
3
6
Notes
9
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
9
4
PART I MODELS OF EXPLANATION
Causal Analysis
13
26
The Meaning of Causal Claims
13
2
Mechanisms and Causal Laws
15
4
The Inductive-Regularity Criterion
19
6
Necessary and Sufficient Conditions
25
4
Forms of Causal Reasoning
29
8
Conclusion
37
1
Notes
38
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
38
1
Rational Choice Theory
39
29
Aggregative Explanation
40
5
Decision Theory
45
6
Game Theory and the Prisoners' Dilemma
51
8
Collective Action Theory
59
3
Criticisms of Narrow Economic Rationality
62
3
Conclusion
65
1
Notes
66
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
66
2
Interpretation Theory
68
23
Interpretation and Agency
69
5
Social Action
74
3
Models of Social Action
77
3
Social Variability and the Primacy of Culture
80
5
Conclusion
85
2
Notes
87
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
87
4
PART II VARIATIONS AND ELABORATIONS
Functional and Structural Explanation
91
23
Functionalism
91
11
Structuralism
102
10
Conclusion
112
1
Notes
112
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
112
2
Materialism
114
22
The Guiding Thread
115
2
Technology and Culture
117
4
Class and Property Relations
121
3
Ideology and Class
124
3
Materialism and Rational Choice Theory
127
5
Marxism and Large-scale Predictions
132
2
Notes
134
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
135
1
Economic Anthropology
136
23
The Formalist Framework
138
5
The Substantivist Paradigm
143
3
Criticisms of the Rational Choice Approach
146
9
Conclusion
155
3
Notes
158
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
158
1
Statistical Analysis
159
24
Quantitative Reasoning in Social Analysis
161
5
Correlation and Regression
166
7
Philosophical Grounds of Statistical Explanation
173
2
Statistical Analysis and Comparative Studies
175
2
Are There Autonomous Statistical Explanations?
177
2
Notes
179
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
179
4
PART III CURRENT CONTROVERSIES
Methodological Individualism
183
19
Individuals and Social Regularities
183
7
Reductionism and Supervenience
190
5
The Microfoundations Debate
195
4
Conclusion
199
2
Notes
201
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
201
1
Relativism
202
20
Conceptual Relativism
203
7
Rationality and Relativism
210
4
Normative Relativism
214
4
Universals
218
3
Notes
221
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
221
1
Toward Methodological Pluralism
222
17
Naturalism
222
10
Antinaturalism
232
5
Methodological Pluralism
237
1
Notes
238
1
Suggestions for Further Reading
238
1
Bibliography
239
12
About the Book and Author
251
2
Index
253