Rise and fall of political complexity in island South-East Asia and the Pacific

Nature • Vol/Iss. 467(7317) • Nature Publishing Group • • Published In • Pages: 801-804 •
By Currie, Thomas E., Greenhill, Simon J. , Gray, Russell D. , Hasegawa, Toshikazu, Mace, Ruth

Hypothesis

Societies tend to change from simple forms of organization to more complex forms of organization in incremental steps, and decreases to adjacent, less hierarchical forms of organization are possible [The "unilinear" model] (802).

Note

This model was ranked relative to the other five models of political organization according to their explanatory power.

Test

Test NameSupportSignificanceCoefficientTail
Maximum likelihood/Bayesian reversible-jump Markov chain Monte CarloHigh support (Ranked 1st/6)UNKNOWNUNKNOWNUNKNOWN

Variables

Variable NameVariable Type OCM Term(s)
Political OrganizationUNKNOWNSocial Stratification, Territorial Hierarchy

Related Hypotheses

Main AuthorHypothesis
Currie, Thomas E.Societies tend to change from simple forms of organization to more complex forms of organization in incremental steps, and decreases in hierarchical organization do not occur [The "rectilinear" model] (802).
Currie, Thomas E.Societies tend to change from simple forms of organization to more complex forms of organization in incremental steps, and decreases in hierarchical organization to any less complex form can occur [The "relaxed unilinear" model] (802).
Currie, Thomas E.Societies tend to change from simple forms of organization to more complex forms of organization in non-sequential paths, and decreases in hierarchical organization do not occur [The "alternative trajectories" model] (802).
Currie, Thomas E.Societies tend to change from simple forms of organization to more complex forms of organization in non-sequential paths, and decreases in hierarchical organization are also non-sequential [The "alternative trajectories (reversible)" model] (802).
Udy, Stanley H., Jr."Social development . . . results independently in decreased rationality for production determined and political forms and increased rationality for familial and contractual forms" (56)