Jared Diamond Social Collapse Analysis
It is interesting to note that many advanced societies and civilization fell. Why is that? Jared Diamond believes that environmental degradation is the reason for past flourishing societies to collapse. He defines the term collapse as: “A drastic decrease in human population size and/or political/economic/social complexity, over a considerable area, for an extended time” (p. 348). In essence, Diamond believes that the trouble we are having in society now, leads back to environmental deterioration.
Tainter, on the other hand, believes that as a society grows and becomes more advanced, it also becomes more complex and problems arise. He believes that as a society grows, more energy and resources are needed for the society to thrive. But, if the same amount of energy and resources are used for a growing population, social collapse is eminent.
McAnany and Yoffee took a different approach with the characterization of social collapse. They believed that “human resilience is the rule rather than the exception” (pg. 880). In term, they believed that the term “collapse” is used incorrectly, and that societies and their people rarely ever end. That their “collapse” was not in term because of issues such as overpopulation or environmental change.
Although, Diamond listed a …show more content…
From climate change, he draws in that the collapse of the Mayan civilization was due to overpopulation, which lead to deforestation and erosion. Archaeologists, like Diamond are able to distinguish causation from correlation by laying out different theories, then using their own research and data to determine which theory best fit the society at the time. Just because something occurred at a period in time that just so happens to be around the time a society collapse does not justify the notion that social collapse was due to a sole
Tainter, on the other hand, believes that as a society grows and becomes more advanced, it also becomes more complex and problems arise. He believes that as a society grows, more energy and resources are needed for the society to thrive. But, if the same amount of energy and resources are used for a growing population, social collapse is eminent.
McAnany and Yoffee took a different approach with the characterization of social collapse. They believed that “human resilience is the rule rather than the exception” (pg. 880). In term, they believed that the term “collapse” is used incorrectly, and that societies and their people rarely ever end. That their “collapse” was not in term because of issues such as overpopulation or environmental change.
Although, Diamond listed a …show more content…
From climate change, he draws in that the collapse of the Mayan civilization was due to overpopulation, which lead to deforestation and erosion. Archaeologists, like Diamond are able to distinguish causation from correlation by laying out different theories, then using their own research and data to determine which theory best fit the society at the time. Just because something occurred at a period in time that just so happens to be around the time a society collapse does not justify the notion that social collapse was due to a sole