Changes

[[File:lighterstill.jpg]]

[[File:lighterstill.jpg]][[File:Collapse_2.jpg|right|frame]]

==Origin==

==Origin==

[[Latin]] collapsus, past participle of collabi, from com- + labi to fall, slide — more at [[sleep]]

[[Latin]] collapsus, past participle of collabi, from com- + labi to fall, slide — more at [[sleep]]

*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century 1732]

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/18th_century 1732]

==Defnitions==

==Defnitions==

*1: to fall or shrink [[together]] abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened [[mass]] through the [[force]] of external [[pressure]] <a blood vessel that collapsed>

*1: to fall or shrink [[together]] abruptly and completely : fall into a jumbled or flattened [[mass]] through the [[force]] of external [[pressure]] <a blood vessel that collapsed>

*6: to fold down into a more compact shape <a chair that collapses>  

*6: to fold down into a more compact shape <a chair that collapses>  

==Description==

==Description==

Societal '''collapse''' broadly includes both quite abrupt societal [[failures]] typified by collapses (such as that of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayan_Civilization Mayan Civilization]), as well as more extended grinding declines of superpowers (like the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire Roman empire] in Western Europe and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty Han Dynasty] in East Asia). The general subject arises in [[anthropology]], [[history]], [[sociology]], [[politics]] and other fields, and more recently in [[complex]] systems [[science]].

Societal '''collapse''' broadly includes both quite abrupt societal [[failures]] typified by collapses (such as that of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayan_Civilization Mayan Civilization]), as well as more extended grinding declines of superpowers (like the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Empire Roman empire] in Western Europe and the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_Dynasty Han Dynasty] in East Asia). The general subject arises in [[anthropology]], [[history]], [[sociology]], [[politics]] and other fields, and more recently in [[complex]] systems [[science]].

In [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_science systems science] it refers to the presumed [[organizational]] [[structures]] of [[societies]] and how they prevent societies from [[adapting]] to [[change]] in their [[circumstances]]. A simple example would be the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_collapse collapse of the Soviet Union]. The abrupt disappearance of a global super-power in the [[course]] of a few months, without any external [[attack]], was evidently caused by some kind of structural [[change]] in its internal complex [[system]]. That [[researchers]], as yet, have very little [[ability]] to identify such internal [[structures]] for large [[distributed]] [[systems]] like [[human]] [[societies]] is an important [[scientific]] [[problem]]. That genuine structural collapse seems, in many cases, the only plausible [[explanation]] supports the idea that such [[structures]] exist. However, until they can be concretely identified, scientific [[inquiry]] appears limited to the construction of [[scientific]] [[narratives]] [1], using [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking systems thinking] for careful [[story telling]] about systemic [[organization]] and [[change]]. [[History]] includes many examples of the [[appearance]] and disappearance of human societies with no obvious [[explanation]].

In [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_science systems science] it refers to the presumed [[organizational]] [[structures]] of [[societies]] and how they prevent societies from [[adapting]] to [[change]] in their [[circumstances]]. A simple example would be the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_collapse collapse of the Soviet Union]. The abrupt disappearance of a global super-power in the [[course]] of a few months, without any external [[attack]], was evidently caused by some kind of structural [[change]] in its internal complex [[system]]. That [[researchers]], as yet, have very little [[ability]] to identify such internal [[structures]] for large [[distributed]] [[systems]] like [[human]] [[societies]] is an important [[scientific]] [[problem]]. That genuine structural collapse seems, in many cases, the only plausible [[explanation]] supports the idea that such [[structures]] exist. However, until they can be concretely identified, scientific [[inquiry]] appears limited to the construction of [[scientific]] [[narratives]] [1], using [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_thinking systems thinking] for careful [[story telling]] about systemic [[organization]] and [[change]]. [[History]] includes many examples of the [[appearance]] and disappearance of human societies with no obvious [[explanation]].

Although a societal collapse is generally an endpoint for that [[form]] of [[administering]] the [[social]] and [[economic]] life of a [[culture]], it can be as another kind of change of administration of the same culture (Russian culture would seem to have outlived both the [[society]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czars Czars] and the society of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Soviet Union], for example). Frequently the [[phenomenon]] is also a [[process]] of decentralization of [[authority]] after a '[[classic]]' period of centralized social order, perhaps replaced by competing centers as the central [[authority]] weakens. As when the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death black plague] contributed to breaking the hold of European [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_society feudal society] on its underclass in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_century 15th century], societal failure may also result in a [[degree]] of empowerment for the lower levels of a former [[climax]] [[society]], who [[escape]] from the burden of onerous [[taxes]] and control by exploitative [[elites]].[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_collapse]

Although a societal collapse is generally an endpoint for that [[form]] of [[administering]] the [[social]] and [[economic]] life of a [[culture]], it can be as another kind of change of administration of the same culture (Russian culture would seem to have outlived both the [[society]] of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czars Czars] and the society of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Union Soviet Union], for example). Frequently the [[phenomenon]] is also a [[process]] of decentralization of [[authority]] after a '[[classic]]' period of centralized social order, perhaps replaced by competing centers as the central [[authority]] weakens. As when the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death black plague] contributed to breaking the hold of European [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feudal_society feudal society] on its underclass in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/15th_century 15th century], societal failure may also result in a [[degree]] of empowerment for the lower levels of a former [[climax]] [[society]], who [[escape]] from the burden of onerous [[taxes]] and control by exploitative [[elite]]s.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Societal_collapse]

[[Category: Sociology]]

[[Category: Sociology]]