Motivating Sentiments and Conflict. Two Traces of Pareto in Merton's Effort Toward a Theory of Reference Groups

The rare references to Pareto by Merton, especially in his effort towards the construction of a theory of reference groups, is an emblematic case of “obliteration by incorporation”. The concepts of “motivating sentiments” and “conflict”, that can be found in Pareto’s work, play a crucial role in Merton’s analysis, opening new perspectives in the conceptualization of social environment and social structure as elements of action. The structure of interaction is conceived as a means through which mental schemes and definitions of the situations are selected by the acting subjects.