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This book presents a novel and innovative approach to the study of
social evolution using case studies from the Old and the New World,
from prehistory to the present. This approach is based on examining
social evolution through the evolution of social institutions.
Evolution is defined as the process of structural change. Within
this framework the society, or culture, is seen as a system
composed of a vast number of social institutions that are
constantly interacting and changing. As a result, the structure of
society as a whole is also evolving and changing. The authors posit
that the combination of evolving social institutions explains the
non-linear character of social evolution and that every society
develops along its own pathway and pace. Within this framework,
society should be seen as the result of the compound effect of the
interactions of social institutions specific to it. Further, the
transformation of social institutions and relations between them is
taking place not only within individual societies but also
globally, as institutions may be trans-societal, and even
institutions that operate in one society can arise as a reaction to
trans-societal trends and demands. The book argues that it may be
more productive to look at institutions even within a given society
as being parts of trans-societal systems of institutions since,
despite their interconnectedness, societies still have boundaries,
which their members usually know and respect. Accordingly, the book
is a must-read for researchers and scholars in various disciplines
who are interested in a better understanding of the origins,
history, successes and failures of social institutions.
This book presents a novel and innovative approach to the study of
social evolution using case studies from the Old and the New World,
from prehistory to the present. This approach is based on examining
social evolution through the evolution of social institutions.
Evolution is defined as the process of structural change. Within
this framework the society, or culture, is seen as a system
composed of a vast number of social institutions that are
constantly interacting and changing. As a result, the structure of
society as a whole is also evolving and changing. The authors posit
that the combination of evolving social institutions explains the
non-linear character of social evolution and that every society
develops along its own pathway and pace. Within this framework,
society should be seen as the result of the compound effect of the
interactions of social institutions specific to it. Further, the
transformation of social institutions and relations between them is
taking place not only within individual societies but also
globally, as institutions may be trans-societal, and even
institutions that operate in one society can arise as a reaction to
trans-societal trends and demands. The book argues that it may be
more productive to look at institutions even within a given society
as being parts of trans-societal systems of institutions since,
despite their interconnectedness, societies still have boundaries,
which their members usually know and respect. Accordingly, the book
is a must-read for researchers and scholars in various disciplines
who are interested in a better understanding of the origins,
history, successes and failures of social institutions.
Over two thousand years ago, Oaxaca, Mexico, was the site of one of
the New World's earliest episodes of primary state formation and
urbanism, and today it is one of the world's archaeologically
best-studied regions. This volume, which thoroughly revises and
updates the first edition, provides a highly readable yet
comprehensive path to acquaint readers with one of the earliest and
best-known examples of Native American state formation and its
consequences as seen from the perspectives of urbanism, technology,
demography, commerce, households, and religion and ritual. Written
by prominent archaeological researchers who have devoted decades to
Oaxacan research and to the development of suitable social theory,
the book places ancient Oaxaca within the context of the history of
ideas that have addressed the causes and consequences of social
evolutionary change. It also critically evaluates the potential
applicability of more recent thinking about state building grounded
in collective action and related theories.
Over two thousand years ago, Oaxaca, Mexico, was the site of one of
the New World's earliest episodes of primary state formation and
urbanism, and today it is one of the world's archaeologically
best-studied regions. This volume, which thoroughly revises and
updates the first edition, provides a highly readable yet
comprehensive path to acquaint readers with one of the earliest and
best-known examples of Native American state formation and its
consequences as seen from the perspectives of urbanism, technology,
demography, commerce, households, and religion and ritual. Written
by prominent archaeological researchers who have devoted decades to
Oaxacan research and to the development of suitable social theory,
the book places ancient Oaxaca within the context of the history of
ideas that have addressed the causes and consequences of social
evolutionary change. It also critically evaluates the potential
applicability of more recent thinking about state building grounded
in collective action and related theories.
Mesoamerica has become one of the world's most important areas for
research into the emergence of complex human societies. Between
10,000 years ago and the arrival of the Spanish in 1521, some of
the most significant changes in the evolution of human societies
occurred. These included the emergence of agriculture and sedentary
villages, the growth of centralized governments (chiefdoms and
states), and the rise of market systems, cities, and highly
stratified social systems. In the 1970s and 1980s a number of
ambitious research efforts produced exciting data on culture change
in Mesoamerica. In this revised and updated 1993 edition of a book
first published in 1981, the authors present a synthesis of
Mesoamerican prehistory, focusing on three of its most intensively
studied regions, the Valleys of Oaxaca and Mexico and the Maya
lowlands. An original framework of ideas is developed to explain
long-term change in complex societies.
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