住宅研究本身為一跨學域的研究議題，學界理應有相當份量的討論方法學方面的文章以應用各家之長，然實際上此類的文章極少。本文即是從方法論的角度出發，意圖由科學哲學的觀點闡述融合社會學與經濟學長處的社會經濟學應用於住宅研究的知識基礎。 在Milton Friendman視經濟為實證科學的前提下，假設只是通往結論的前提而已，接受評斷的不是簡化、抽象化後的假設，而是導致的結論。在此觀點之下，經濟學與社會學確有共存的哲學基礎，故結合兩家長處的社會經濟學自有其存在的知識基礎。另外本文亦以家庭代間移轉此議題為例，回顧利他模型、新制度論與社會交換論的觀點，除發掘不同分析論點的長處之外，並指出不同取向之間的交融趨勢正在擴大當中。另外再以臺灣的住宅代間移轉作為應用社會經濟學的實例，闡明不同取向在分析內容中的融合過程與取捨，並進一步突出住宅研究的社會經濟學個性。 當前臺灣的住宅研究有過份偏向經濟學的傾向，故重回跨領域的社會經濟學研究取向，對進一步應用於發掘臺灣的住宅研究具有豐富的潛力。

　　　　　Housing Studies, as a cross-displinary research field, should have rich publications to address different methodology from different disciplines. But articles related to methodological issues are rare. Based on the discussion of scientific philosophy, the purpose of this article is to interpret the potential of the socio-economic approach, which merges the strengths of economics and sociology, and to apply this approach in housing studies. From the viewpoint of instrumentalism, as raised by Economist Milton Friedman, an assumption is only the starting point to a conclusion for establishing a logical rule, the sufficient condition. What should be judged is the conclusion, but not the simplified assumption. From the instrumentalist's viewpoint, economics and sociology have the possibility to co-exist. Thus, this article identifies the knowledge foundation for the socio-economic approach by providing the union of economics and sociology. Intergenerational housing transfer, which is the concern of both economists and sociologists, is chosen as the issue for empirical study. A theorectical review on intergenerational transfer from neo-classical economics, new institutional economics and exchange theory is provided. The author concludes that a process of merger is happening among these three different approaches, and the trade-offs during the merger are analylized. In contemporary Taiwan, the housing researchers over emphasize the economic approach. However, returning to the socio-economic approach should be beneficial for future development of housing studies in Taiwan.