Bio: (1943-) American sociologist. Michael Hechter got his Ph.D. in Sociology in 1972, from Columbia University, and taught at the universities of Arizona and Oxford, and today he teaches at the University of Washington. Hechter deals with the problems of the theory of rational choice; values ​​and norms; the problem of social order; group solidarity and nationalism. He sought to solve the "Hobbesian" (Thomas Hobbes) problem of social order, and in that context, he applied theories of rational choice. Hechter believes that the concept of rational egoism used by classical theories of rational choice is not enough to explain the phenomenon of cooperation and collective action, and therefore cannot be the basis for explaining the social order. To improve the theory of rational choice, Hechter focuses on two new areas of study. To better understand the social order, it is necessary to study the "aggregation mechanism", that is, the process by which different individual actions are combined to give common outcomes. Another area of ​​study is the issue of information available to actors before making a decision. Because there are large differences in the amount and quality of information available, this variability affects completely different choices made by individual actors.

Hechter believes that the difference between values ​​and norms is that norms are enforced through the threat of external sanctions, while values ​​are enforced through internal (psychological) punishments and rewards, such as pride or shame. Hechter is very skeptical about the possibility of a sociological study of values ​​for three main reasons: values ​​are not visible; there are no adequate theories to explain the relationship between values ​​and behavior, both at the individual and collective level; and finally, values ​​are difficult to measure.

Hechter pays great attention to the problems of nationalism and ethnic cooperation and conflict. Nationalist movements strive for self-determination and authority over a particular territory. Ethnic conflicts more often erupt during the emergence of new states. That is why nations remain marked by the specific nature of the conflict that existed when that nation emerged. In the context of the theory of rational choice, ethnic groups reduce the costs of supervision and increase the benefits associated with ethnic mobilization, while solving the problem of "blind passengers". States respond to ethnic tensions by combining tactics of repression and concessions, depending on the strength of ethnic movements and the state's ability to suppress the aspirations of those movements. For the relationship between the state and ethnic movements, the institutional arrangement for the transfer of power from the state to local leaders is very important, because cultural autonomy and decentralization can delay conflicts in the long run.

Hechter's theory of "internal colonialism", which he developed when he studied ethnic relations in Britain, states that when unequal industrial development and cultural differences between the regions overlap, ethnic differences become the basis of political conflict. In the case of ethnic or racial differences in the division of labor, he distinguishes two main dimensions: the level of inter-group hierarchy and the level of group specialization. If one ethnic or racial group is concentrated at one hierarchical level within the division of labor, then it will share interests with other groups at that hierarchical level and, accordingly, strive for class politics. If a group specializes in a certain type of work, then there is more frequent group interaction and greater interdependence, then it leads to political action that is based on ethnic identity.

Main works

nternal Colonialism (1975);

„Group Formation and the Cultural Division of Labor”, in American Journal of Sociology (1978);

Microfoundations of Macrosociology (1983);

Principles of Group Solidarity (1987);

The Origin of Values (1993); 

„The Role of Values in Rational Choice Theory”, in Rationality and Society (1994); Containing Nationalism (2000);

Social Norms (2001);

Theories of Social Order (2003).