Ostrum: Behavioral Approach of Rational Choice Theory of Collective Action

Ostrum provides an expansion of rational choice theory by theorizing conditions where "reciprocity, reputation, and trust can help overcome the strong temptations of short-run self-interest" (p.3). A social dilemma is a large number of situations where individuals make independent choices in an interdependent situation. Ostrum outlines the following assumptions are made in formal models of social dilemmas:
1. All participants have common knowledge of the payoffs to be received by all individuals under all combinations of strategies
2. Decisions about strategies are made independently and often simultaneusly
3. All participants have the same strategies available to them
4. And no external factor or central authority enforces cooperation
Ostrum argues that traditional rational theories of approaching social problems suggest self-interested players are expected to use communication to get others to cooperate and promise cooperative action. But simple communication is not enough to pull out of the dilemma because communication is not enough to achieve collective action. To address a social dilemma Ostrum suggest establishing face-to-face communication with relationships of trust, reputation, and reciprocity. Reciprocity involves the following:
1. Identifying who is involved in the dilemma
2. Assessing wheter others involved will cooperate conditionally
3. Agree to cooperate with others if they are trusted to be conditional cooperators
4. A refusal to cooperate with those who do not reciprocate
5. And enforce punishment of those who betray trust
Ostrum views face-to-face communication as more powerful than communication via technology. How does this theory work in a society where we are focused on globalisation? How can social dilemmas be addressed through information exchanged through technological networks? My dissertation examines issues of place/space: comparing the college access networks of integrated school communities to segregated school communities. I am hypothesizing that information networks in an isolated segregated community are not as strong as integrated communities, because segregated closed communities do not allow new information networks in that could improve capacity building and adaptability. Segregated isolated communities could benefit from technology to expand information networks. It would be difficult for education to deal w/ policies that address housing and city planning decisions that create segregated communities, but at least for segregated communities technology can allow information networks to surpass spatial boundaries.