Cultural Dimensions of Hierarchy and Power in the History of Civilizations

* Book: HIERARCHY AND POWER IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATIONS: Cultural Dimensions. Edited by Leonid E. Grinin and Andrey V. Korotayev Moscow: KRASAND, 2009. - 216 p.

URL = https://www.sociostudies.org/books/hap_cultural_dimensions/

Description

"The human history has evidenced various systems of hierarchy and power in different spheres of social life. The relations of hierarchy and power are relevant for every sphere as they penetrate the whole life of a society and represent a sort of framework for an individual's activity. The cultural sphere (in the wide sense of the word) is not an exception, although, of course, it has great peculiarities in the manifestation of power-hierarchical relations. The relations here are usually informal and more often connected with traditions than with norms, there are much less power structures that have the legal right for coercion. The book consists of two main parts. The papers included in the first section discuss the dynamics and potentials of newly emerging socio-cultural network structures and the ways in which they reconceptualize socio-cultural organization through innovative forms of spatial practice. The second section is dedicated to the study of new models of communication whose influence overcomes states' borders and which have a great potential and capabilities for destroying the basis and cultural values of the society."