Punctuated equilibrium in social theory

This article is about the theory of social change. For the theory in evolutionary biology, see Punctuated equilibrium.

Punctuated equilibrium in social theory is a conceptual framework for understanding the process of change in complex social systems. The approach studies the evolution of policy change,[1] including the evolution of conflicts.[2] The theory posits that most social systems exist in an extended period of stasis, which may be punctuated by sudden shifts leading to radical change. The theory was largely inspired by the evolutionary biology theory of punctuated equilibrium developed by paleontologists Niles Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould.

  1. ^ Baumgartner, Frank and Bryan D. Jones (1993). Agendas and Instability in American Politics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  2. ^ Cioffi-Revilla, Claudio (1998). "The political uncertainty of interstate rivalries: A punctuated equilibrium model." In Paul Diehl The Dynamics of Enduring Rivalries. Chicago: University of Illinois Press, pp. 64-97.