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Polis

On-line version ISSN 2594-0686Print version ISSN 1870-2333

Polis vol.1 n.1 México Jan./Jun. 2005

 

Traducción

Agentes y estructuras: dos visiones de las preferencias, dos visiones de las instituciones

Agents and Structures: Two Views of Preferences, Two Views of Institutions

William Roberts Clark

Traducción:

Rafael Morales Ramírez*

Víctor Alarcón Olguín*


Resumen:

Dos enfoques analíticos distintos para el estudio de la política doméstica han sido referidos como el nuevo institucionalismo. La diferencia fundamental entre las dos ramas del institucionalismo puede ser vista en la manera en que se ocupan de la relación entre agentes y estructuras. El enfoque basado en estructuras se orienta hacia las instituciones, dándole primacía ontológica a las estructuras y mira a los agentes como constituidos por ellas. La perspectiva centrada en agencias visualiza a los agentes humanos como ontológicamente primitivos y concibe a las instituciones como estructuras que son creadas por individuos maximizadores. Los dos enfoques son comparados dando especial atención a la forma en que tratan las preferencias que tienen los actores. Se argumenta que contrariamente a las posturas de muchos de los teóricos basados en estructuras, el enfoque centrado en agencias es capaz de contribuir a la discusión respecto a los recursos de las preferencias del actor. Un modelo de información limitada de la interacción estratégica entre trabajadores y capitalistas es usado aquí para demostrar las formas en las cuales el enfoque centrado en agencias puede comenzar a convertir las preferencias en endógenas.

Palabras clave: nuevo institucionalismo; teoría de la elección racional; estructuralismo; agencias sociales; políticas públicas

Abstract:

Two analytically distinct approaches to the study of domestic politics have been referred to as the new institutionalism. The fundamental difference between the two brands of institutionalism can be seen in the way they handle the relationship between agents and structures. Structure-based approaches to institutions give ontological primacy to structures and view agents as being constituted by them. Agency-centered approaches view human agents as ontologically primitive and view institution as structures that are create by goal-maximizing individuals. The two approaches are compared, with special attention given to the way they treat the preferences that actors hold. I argue that contrary to arguments made by many structure-based theorists, the agency-centered approach is capable of contributing to discussions regarding the sources of actor preferences. A limited-information model of the strategic interaction between workers and capitalists is used to demonstrate ways in which the agency-centered approach can begin to make preferences endogenous.

Keywords: new institutionalism; rational choice theory; structuralism; social agencies; public policies

Texto completo disponible sólo en PDF

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*Traducción de Rafael Morales Ramírez y Víctor Alarcón Olguín.

Recibido: 14 de Marzo de 2005; Aprobado: 20 de Mayo de 2005

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