Becker’s constant focus was on the main forces driving human behavior and people’s interaction both in markets and in non-market activities. Early in his career, his work was often criticized for being overly dependent on economic analysis in dealing with big social problems, sometimes touching raw nerves on very sensitive issues.
贝克尔的研究精力一直集中在驱动人类行为的主要动力和人在市场及非市场活动中的互动。在职业生涯早期，他的工作常常被批在处理重大社会问题时过于倚重经济血分析，有时会触及敏感问题的敏感处。