IS REVOLUTION INDIVIDUALLY RATIONAL - GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS IN REVOLUTIONARY COLLECTIVE ACTION

Authors
GOLDSTONE JA
Citation
Ja. Goldstone, IS REVOLUTION INDIVIDUALLY RATIONAL - GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS IN REVOLUTIONARY COLLECTIVE ACTION, Rationality and society, 6(1), 1994, pp. 139-166
Citations number
79
Categorie Soggetti
Sociology
Journal title
Rationality and society → ACNP
ISSN journal
10434631
Volume
6
Issue
1
Year of publication
1994
Pages
139 - 166
Database
ISI
SICI code
1043-4631(1994)6:1<139:IRIR-G>2.0.ZU;2-3
Abstract
An examination of the free rider problem in revolutionary action sugge sts that this problem can be, and historically has been, overcome by d rawing on norms of solidarity developed in preexisting groups, which g ain individuals' commitment by providing commonly needed public goods. A simple model of rational action by groups, based on considerations of individual solidarity and cross-group interactions, then predicts m any of the well-known macrofeatures of revolutions in different kinds of societies.