Sociocultural Systems: Principles of Structure and Change

Frank W. Elwell is a professor of sociology and the dean of Liberal Arts at Rogers State University, in Oklahoma.He is the author of Macrosociology: Four Modern Theorists, among other works.

Macrosociology–the study of large-scale social structures and thefundamental principles of social organization–was the style ofsociology practiced by the founders of the discipline. Today, thesocial theories of Karl Marx, Max Weber, Émile Durkheim, and HerbertSpencer (among others) are commonly studied as part of the history ofthe field, but, the macrosociological approach no longer dominates thediscipline. Sociocultural Systems aims to reinstatemacrosciology as the heart of the discipline by demonstrating that bothclassical and contemporary macrosociologists stand upon common ground.Focusing on the broad issues that concerned the founders, Elwelladdresses questions such as: Why were some societies moretechnologically advanced than others? What is the origin of capitalism?What factors determine the allocation of goods and services within andamong societies? What effects do changes in government and economicinstitutions have on communities? Articulating important sociologicalprinciples, Sociocultural Systems provides a criticalunderstanding of social institutions and issues, while also furnishinga framework for possible solutions to the perennial social crises thatare part and parcel of the development of human societies.