PREFERENCE AND INTERACTION - PLACED IN PERSPECTIVE

This article compares approaches made in microeconomic theory and in ' 'action'' sociology, paying particular attention to two aspects: repre sentation of individual choices and the modelling of interaction betwe en a small number of actors. A reminder is made at the beginning of th e article of the basis on which the ''preference'' notion of microecon omics is developed. The difficulties arising from this notion are then analysed from a sociological standpoint. This is followed by a descri ption of the basis used for economic negotiation models, largely found ed on the game theory; these models are then compared with the interac tionist approaches. The analysis is illustrated with examples taken ma inly from the health sector.