Description
Book SynopsisConflict attracts a great deal of attention--as much or more than any other element of human life. People generally dislike it, and try to prevent and avoid it as much as possible. So why do clashes of right and wrong occur? And why are some clashes worse than others? In Moral Time, Donald Black shows how changes in intimacy (friends or strangers?), inequality (rich or poor?), and cultural diversity (Christian or Jew?) all determine when conflict happens. A reduction of closeness or a display of disrespect alters a relationship, for example, and the greater and faster the change, the more likely conflict will ensue. Throughout the book, Black applies his theory to an astounding range of human behavior, from bad manners to crime and warfare, accusations of witchcraft, racism, and anti-Semitism, conflict about creativity in science and art. Written in Black''s trademark straightforward style, Moral Time is a powerful and incisive new take on conflict--a fundamental and inescapable featur
Trade ReviewWhile sociologists focused on power and resources might suggest that there is more than this underlying conflict, this book offers an intriguing set of social dynamics for theorists to engage. * Steven Hitlin, University of Iowa, Social Forces Journal *
Table of Contents1. Introduction: The Nature of Social Time-The Origin of Conflict ; Part One: Relational Time ; 2. Overintimacy: Overinvolvement-Overexposure ; 3. Underintimacy: Underinvolvement-Underexposure ; Part Two: Vertical Time ; 4. Overstratification: Oversuperiority-Overinferiority ; 5. Understratification: Undersuperiority-Underinferiority ; Part Three: Cultural Time ; 6. Overdiversity: Overtraditionalism-Overinnovation ; 7. Underdiversity: Undertraditionalism-Underinnovation ; Conclusion: The Geometry of Social Time-Tribal Time-Modern Time-Postmodern Time
