ch 6 ( The freedom riders problem, Olsen)

Question 1

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Answer 1

Contradicts Marx’s self- interest theory

Oslon argues that, “unless the number of individuals in a group is quite small, rational self-interested individuals will not act to achieve their common or group interests” (instead they will wait for others to act so they can collect the rewards)

• it would be more rational for self- interested individuals to abstain from collective action and wait to reap the rewards of other individuals’ involvement
• for example, a social movement seeking to establish a non-exclusionary social good such as nationalized water: a self-interested individual who did not participate in this social movement and did not pay the costs of involvement would, if the movement were successful, receive the same benefits as those individuals who did participate and pay these costs

Since all members of a group’s benefit, individuals in a large group are not willing to make sacrifices because they know that other will also benefit so they just wait to collect the rewards

***overall idea of when people benefit from a SM but don’t participate

Question 2

argument

Answer 2

Olson argues that, unless a group small, self-interested individuals will not participate but instead will “wait” to collect the rewards as he/she know that they will still benefit if the movement is successful

“unless the number of individuals in a group is quite small, rational self-interested individuals will not act to achieve their common or group interests” (instead they will wait for others to act so they can collect the rewards)