Social Exchange Theory

Homans (1958), Thibaut and Kelley (1959), Blau (1964), Gouldner's norm of reciprocity (1960); its child, Altman and Taylor's social penetration theory (1973). Social life as an exchange of rewards and costs judged against comparison levels; unreturned benefit as power. In RENAISSANCE 3.0 (The Careoptic Loop survey, Oct 2026): the main live rival of the caring ledger. Differentiator: their cost is a reward forgone and an entry exists at the moment of giving; our ledger books will spent from wilth, passage by passage, and books nothing until appreciation declares it.

· 1958– · active