Rational Ritual

By - Chwe, Michael Suk-Young.

Floor - Floor 1

Published - Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, 2013

ISBN 10 - 0691158282

ISBN 13 - 9780691158280

Book Status - 1 Qnty Available with us.

Subject - Rational choice theory

Shelf No - 14

Call Number - 306.42 CHW

Physical Description - XIV, 138 Seiten : Illustration: 23 cm.

Notes - Includes Bibliographical References and Index.

Book Information

"Why do beer commercials dominate Super Bowl advertising? How do political ceremonies establish authority? Why were circular forms favored for public festivals during the French Revolution? This book answers these questions using a single concept: common knowledge. Game theory shows that in order to coordinate its actions, a group of people must form "common knowledge." Each person wants to participate only if others also participate. Members must have knowledge of each other, knowledge of that knowledge, and so on. Michael Chwe applies this insight, with striking erudition, to analyze a range of rituals across history and cultures. He shows that public ceremonies are powerful not simply because they transmit meaning from a central source to each audience member but because they let audience members know what other members know. In a new afterword, Chwe delves into new applications of common knowledge, both in the real world and in experiments, and considers how generating common knowledge has become easier in the digital age." -- From the jacket.

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