social

Variations We have been following Nye's (1979) version of exchange theory, but it is important to note the diversity within exchange theories. We FAMILY 'THEORIES                                          Social Exchange and Choice     47 classify the many variants on the basis of whether they are microsocial or macrosocial. You may recall that a microsocial theory includes the assumption that the individual is the active unit of analysis, whereas in macrosocial theories the active unit of analysis is the social group or institution. Although all theorists would like to think that they have successfully bridged the chasm between micro- and macroperspectives, there are in reality few theories for which one can confidently make such a claim. Individual exchange theories usually involve simply adding up all the individual motivations and calling that group motivation or developing a "great man" theory whereby one actor is respo