(Sumblog 5) Rational Choice Theory

I found the rational choice theory to be particularly interesting during class discussion. Rational choice theory is a way to explain religion and why an individual may gravitate toward or choose to be a part of a particular religion. This theory makes rational what could be irrational. If a person is contemplating what religion to join or what to believe, they may weigh out the pros and cons of the religion. We did an exercise like this during lecture where we stated what our religious orientation was and then wrote out the pros and cons that are tied with affiliating with that certain religion. This was very interesting to me since I never thought about considering the pros and cons. It made me realize how someone may be influenced by whether the affiliations will affect a person more positively or negatively. We also wrote down what the potential costs and benefits would be for identifying as a particular political orientation. This made me realize that the rational choice theory could apply to many aspects of life.

     However, the rational choice theory may not apply to everyone. Not everyone goes through the pros and cons before making decisions such as what religion to affiliate with or even what their political orientation should be. For some people, thinking through decisions in depth may be uncomfortable or unrealistic. Some people may think things through subconsciously but never fully test to see whether the benefits outweigh the costs or if the costs are too overwhelming.