Transcript Dark Ages
Dark Ages Dr. Green Basic Assumptions • • • • Immanent causality Limit Form or pattern Uniformitarian – Same social processes at work now were at work in the past • Mutual causality – One change may cause others, which may eventually feed back to reinforce the original change Social Organization Type Form Basis Social Cooperative Joy-sorrow Economic Contractual Wealth Coercive Peace-Order Ideational ExpressionLegitimation Fearconfidence Political Cultural Angercontentment Agreementdisgust Social Unity • Cohesion—The number and strength of social relationships • Organization—The number and strength of economic relationships • Integration—The number and strength of political relationships • Legitimation—The number and strength of cultural relationships Societies • An ascendant society is one with high levels of integration, organization and cohesion (accepting that they cannot all be equally strong). – It will be ordered and peaceful (integration). – It will be innovative and wealthy (organization). – Its citizens will be loyal – Its institutions will be widely recognized as legitimate. Societies – A declining society is one where integration, organization, cohesion, and legitimation are disappearing or have disappeared. Degrees of Disintegration • Cycles of different degree are ending – Recessions—within one of the phases of a longer-term trend – Depressions—between the different phases of a longer-term trend – End of an Era—end of one complete cycle – Dark Ages—when all the phases have been played out Dark Ages • • • There is an absolute reduction of integration, organization and cohesion, not merely a decline relative to surrounding societies. The retrenchment is large enough to last several decades. Integration, organization and cohesion are all affected simultaneously. Causes of Decline • • • • • Social Economic Political Cultural Environmental Jared Diamond • Causes of collapse – Environmental damage – Climate change – Hostile neighbors – Interdependence – Social response Environmental Damage • • • • • • • • • • Deforestation Soil exhaustion Water scarcity Over-exploiting resources Environmental impact Introduction of new species Over-population Environmental toxicity through pollution Induced climate change Energy shortage Future Problems • Natural resource problems – Habitat exhaustion – Food – Ecological diversity – Soil exhaustion • Pollution – Chemical – Alien species – gases Future Problems • Ceilings – Energy – Water – Photosynthetic capacity • Population – Size – Impact