Social Exchange Theory

The current state of social exchange theory is assessed in this collection of original papers. James S Coleman and Peter M Blau -- two of the founders of social exchange theory in the 1960s -- have contributed up-to-date reviews of their thinking on the subject. The volume also includes a piece by the late Richard Emerson, and contributions from young scholars who are expanding the frontiers of this theoretical framework. Jon Turner, a noted social theorist, rounds off this important volume with a critique of social exchange theory as presented by the contributors. As a current analysis of this major strand of social theory, this volume is unrivalled and should be of value to scholars and graduate students of sociology, social psychology and anthropology.