Social Entropy Theory

Kenneth D. Bailey is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"A powerful and insightful general theory of society which resolves several well-known problems with past efforts." — Joseph Woelfel, State University of New York, Albany"While specialized approaches do not have any way to indicate what is not being studied, an integrative approach such as Social Entropy Theory fills the critical role of illuminating gaps and inconsistencies in existing theory because it deals with the entire society, including those parts of it which narrower theories may not have specifically addressed. I think this is an important scholarly contribution. There is nothing else like it, and it deals with a very significant issue." — James Grier Miller, University of California, San Diego

• List of Tables List of Figures Preface 1. Contructing a Theory of Complex Society The Direct StrategyRelation to other Formulations The Relation of SET to Middle-Range and Micro TheoryThe Relation of SET to General or Macro Formulations Plan of the Chapters 2. The Isomorphic Concrete Systems Model Beyond Functionalism FunctionalismGeneral Systems Theory The ChallengesMeeting the ChallengesThe Isomorphic Concrete Systems ModelEpistemology IsomorphismThe Two-Level ModelAnomalies in the Two-Level Model The Three-Level Model Extensions of the Three-Level Model Abstracted Versus Concrete Sociological TheoryThe Complex Isomorphic Systems Model (X") Holistic Model Adequacy 3. Social Entropy The History of Social Equilibrium Thermodynamic Equilibrium and EntropyNonthermodynamic Physical Equilibrium and EntropyThe Spencerian DilemmaFirst PrinciplesParetoEquilibrium between Pareto and ParsonsParsons Moving EquilibriumEquilibrium as an Analytic DeviceHomeostasisSummarizing the Breadth of Parsons' Equilibrium Concept The History of Social Entropy PrigogineUse of EntropyStatistical FormulationsEntropy in General Systems TheoryVerbal Formulations of Social EntropyEvaluating the Literature on Social Entropy 4. Macrosociology Key Societal Variables Global PropertiesSpatial Area (Expansion of Boundaries)Population SizeLevel of LivingTechnologyOrganizationInformationDistributional (Analytical) Measurement Interrelationships among Variables Global MeasurementDistributions ExhaustivenessControlInternal Versus External Relationships Internal RelationshipsOpen Boundaries Summary 5. The Individual in Complex Society Sorokin's Ten-Dimensional StructureThe Mutable DistributionsThe Immutable VariablesAllocation Theory Global ConstraintsChange in Mutable Distribution StructureRelevant TheoriesOverviewOrganizationTechnologySpaceInformationLevel of Living Expectations and Goals Summary 6. Organizations Organizational Formation Divisive Grouping ProcessesAgglomerative Grouping Processes Boundaries Boundary FormationMembership BoundariesOutreachSummary Entropy and Information in OrganizationsMultiple MembershipConcluding Remarks 7. The Central Problem of Social Order IntroductionSocial Order Two Types of OrderQ- and R- Relationships The Holistic Model of Social Order Category TheoryEffect of Symbolic Structure on ActionWhy Actions Are ReplicatedSummary Order and the Three Level Model The Synchronic Nature of MarkersMarkers and Mutables Power and Conflict Expectations and PowerMutables and ConflictImmutables and ConflictEntropy and Inequality Concluding Remarks 8. Statistical Entropy Probabilistic Entropy Number of Categories Type B MappingType C MappingThe Marker (X") Level Sample SizeSampling Distribution Relationship of Categorical Entropy to Continuous Variables Categorical and Continuous EntropyContinuous Entropy Measuring Inequality ContinuousDecompositionCategorical Income DataMeasures of Population DiversityProportional Reduction in ErrorSummary 9. Reflections and Hypotheses Reflections Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8 Hypotheses Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8 Concluding Remarks ReferencesAuthor IndexSubject Index