Social Macro-Dynamics (Exploring Theories of Human Organization)

Author: (American) Jonathan H. Turner, translated by Lin Juren et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-12-01
Features: This book proposes that only a relatively small set of primary forces and their derived secondary forces determine how human societies are organized. Therefore, macrodynamics theory must explain the operation of this set of primary and secondary forces. This book attempts to propose a general theory of the primary and fundamental forces that determine the organization of human societies. This book attempts to propose a general theory of the primary and fundamental forces that determine the organization of human societies. The fundamental aspects of these forces include: (1) the scale and rate of population growth; (2) production levels; (3) the total amount and rate of distribution; (4) the consolidation and centralization of power. Compared to these four fundamental forces, other forces have reverse causal effects: (5) spatial forces; (6) differentiation forces; (7) disintegration forces. Next, secondary forces, such as inequality and stratification, arise from the action of these seven fundamental forces; but in fact, like all aspects of the social world, these secondary forces have reverse causal effects on the primary driving forces that generate them. Therefore, this book proposes that only a relatively small set of forces and their derived secondary forces determine how human societies are organized. Thus, macrodynamics theory must explain the operation of this set of forces and secondary forces. These forces clearly interact in complex ways, so the focus should be on analyzing their direct, indirect, and reverse causal pathways. Two strategies can be used to grasp and simplify the complexity of these interactions between forces: one is analytical models, where important causal pathways are primarily represented in two-dimensional space; the other is propositions, where key causal relationships are expressed in words and the mathematicalized language in the appendix. In proposing a general model and propositions for these forces and secondary forces, I have integrated those theories generally considered incompatible—functionalism, conflict theory, human ecology theory, and evolutionary-development theory. The purpose of this integration is to draw useful components from these four theoretical traditions and combine them into a more dynamic and limited theory. In the appendix, the aim is to draw a final conclusion by proposing ten models and propositions of macrodynamics laws. Obviously, the stance this book upholds is that sociology can and should be a "hard science." The purpose of all hard sciences is to explain the world through abstract models and principles. As the models and propositions in this book demonstrate, sociology can be one of such sciences.