Inter-Societal Dynamics

Jonathan Turner and Anthony Roberts put forward a new theoretical framework for understanding how inter-societal systems work. They maintain that such systems have existed for as long as human societies have, and that their dynamics are a basic feature of the social world. Although world-systems analysis has stressed this point, the authors argue that scholars' hesitation to build complex abstract models and linked explanatory propositions about the forces behind these systems blocks scientific explanation.

The authors survey current theorizing and examine major theories of geo-economic, geo-political and geo-cultural dynamics, from classical thinkers through today's world-systems analysis and cliometrics. Each theory is presented plainly, with attention to its strengths and weaknesses. Building on this review, they offer a synthesis of new models and propositions covering both premodern and modern inter-societal systems.

Turner has spent decades writing theory texts for undergraduates, and that experience shapes the book's approach: abstract ideas are paired with examples so readers can follow the arguments. The book is aimed at social theory researchers, academics, serious undergraduates, graduate students, and interested general readers.