Is Worldwide Collapse Inevitable?
By Tiffany Tong
Current globalization and international trade practices, which are frequently unsustainable, will only prolong a worldwide collapse, as defined by Joseph Tainter, not prevent one. According to Tainter, a collapsed society is one that “displays a rapid, significant loss of an established level of sociopolitical complexity[1].” Sociopolitical complexity is the differences in power structures and levels of ruling class. The indicators of a loss of sociopolitical complexity are a decrease in social stratification, economic specialization, centralized control, overall coordination of society, trading and redistribution of resources, and cultural activities such as art, buildings, and literature1.