Go Back To Individualism: Institution Theory Study Based On Resource Exchange

Institution Studies boom recently in social sciences such as Sociology, Economics and Politics in China, which include almost every aspect concerning institution.In these studies, many laid emphasis on micro-institution, or some aspects of institution, while general theory study left as a thin chain. The reason lie in the difference of study fields, which might emphasize on certain institutions based on the requirement to solve practical problems, on the other hand, the short history of institution study itself, which is not mature in empirical study, nor in mid-range theory, and a general institution theory system has not been constructed. But with the progress of institution study, subjects of general theory study are coming into researchers' eyes.The author chooses general theory study as the topic of this thesis, aiming to answer the following questions: 1, what is the essence of institution? 2, in what forms are the institution changed? So the main method is literature study, and the viewpoint is based on individualism.On the basis of previous institution studies, the author discovered the essence of institution by recalling the origin and the change history of institution, and the author took the change history of the ancient "Xuanju" (note: selection, select talent to serve as the government officials) institution in China as an example to explain how and in what form institution is changed. Instead of thinking that institution originated from the social requirement, aiming to maintain the stability of social order and keepthe society operating smoothly, as in held by traditional theories, the author suggest that institution is the norm for individuals in the society to exchange resource, which originated from resource exchange among individuals, and affect individuals in resource exchange in return. They themselves don't imply the value judgment. Both general institution and certain rules have four factors: social members, resources, social exchange and norms.Moreover, based on such Sociology theories as Resource, Social Exchange and Social Mobility, the author found two basic institution arrangements in institutions change history: resource-ascribed institution and resource-achieved institution. Despite the diverse kinds of certain forms in institution change, it evolves generally from resource -ascribed institution to resource-achieved institution.The rediscovery of the essence and change forms of institution may inspire us in the construction and creation of institution in reality.