The Structure of Exchange: Piaget’s Sociological Theory

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Abstract
Piaget’s structural model of social exchange as described in his Etudes sociologiques is summarized together with some of its applications to interpersonal and group relations. The model implies that social exchange gives rise to mutual valuations between the respective partners and that these mutual valuations enter into the overall equilibrium of the system. In contrast, disequilibrium results in social crises of various types. Piaget’s view of language and logic as forms of intellectual exchange casts a new light on the role of social interaction in his theory of intellectual development. Like Habermas’s theory of communicative action, Piaget’s theory implies that communicative exchanges involve interpersonal values as well as a propositional content. It is argued that this theory of social exchange may provide a structural model for many aspects of social-cognitive development.

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