Where did rational choice theory come from?

Although rational choice theory stemmed from neoclassical economists such as Smith, the theory moved into the social sciences in the 1950s and 1960s when George C. Homans, Peter Blau, and James Coleman related rational choice theory to social exchange.

What is rational choice theory & exchange theory?

It also tries to put the formation of relations into a linear process, but that isn't always linear. Critics point out that relationships can move backward or jump ahead. Rational choice theory and exchange theory attempt to explain society through individuals and interactions.

Can rational choice theory explain social phenomena?

Being a general theory of action, rational choice theory can be, and has been, applied to explain social phenomena in almost any subfield of the social and behavioral sciences, although the section on Selected Applications of Rational Choice Theory can present only an idiosyncratic fraction of these applications.