Economists have traditionally studied aggregate behavior as the
outcome of individual decisions made interactively, while
sociologists have focused on the role of social influences on
individual behavior. Over the past decade, however, the barriers
between the disciplines have broken down, resulting in the new
area of social economics. Social economics is based on the
assumption that individuals are directly influenced by the
choices and characteristics of others, creating a feedback loop
from the past choices of some people to the current social
context and hence future choices of others. The essays in this
book, by some of the creators of the field, provide an overview
of social economics and represent a variety of approaches,
including theoretical model-building, empirical studies,
statistical analyses, and philosophical reflections. About the
Editors Steven N. Durlauf is Kenneth J. Arrow Professor
Professor of Economics at the University of Wisconsin and former
Director of the Economics Program of the San