Library Catalog

Secular Cycles /

Turchin, Peter

Secular Cycles / Sergey A. Nefedov, Peter Turchin. - Course Book - 1 online resource (360 p.) : 65 line illus. 62 tables.

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Units and Currencies -- Chapter 1. Introduction: The Theoretical Background -- Chapter 2. Medieval England: The Plantagenet Cycle (1150-1485) -- Chapter 3. Early Modern England: The Tudor-Stuart Cycle (1485-1730) -- Chapter 4. Medieval France: The Capetian Cycle (1150-1450) -- Chapter 5. Early Modern France: The Valois Cycle (1450-1660) -- Chapter 6. Rome: The Republican Cycle (350-30 BCE) -- Chapter 7. Rome: The Principate Cycle (30 BCE-285 CE) -- Chapter 8. Russia: The Muscovy Cycle (1460-1620) -- Chapter 9. Russia: The Romanov Cycle (1620-1922) -- Chapter 10. General Conclusions -- Acknowledgments -- References Cited -- Index

restricted access http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec

Many historical processes exhibit recurrent patterns of change. Century-long periods of population expansion come before long periods of stagnation and decline; the dynamics of prices mirror population oscillations; and states go through strong expansionist phases followed by periods of state failure, endemic sociopolitical instability, and territorial loss. Peter Turchin and Sergey Nefedov explore the dynamics and causal connections between such demographic, economic, and political variables in agrarian societies and offer detailed explanations for these long-term oscillations--what the authors call secular cycles. Secular Cycles elaborates and expands upon the demographic-structural theory first advanced by Jack Goldstone, which provides an explanation of long-term oscillations. This book tests that theory's specific and quantitative predictions by tracing the dynamics of population numbers, prices and real wages, elite numbers and incomes, state finances, and sociopolitical instability. Turchin and Nefedov study societies in England, France, and Russia during the medieval and early modern periods, and look back at the Roman Republic and Empire. Incorporating theoretical and quantitative history, the authors examine a specific model of historical change and, more generally, investigate the utility of the dynamical systems approach in historical applications. An indispensable and groundbreaking resource for a wide variety of social scientists, Secular Cycles will interest practitioners of economic history, historical sociology, complexity studies, and demography.




Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.


In English.

9780691136967 9781400830688

10.1515/9781400830688 doi


Business cycles--Mathematical models.
Demography--Mathematical models.
Economic development--Mathematical models.
Population--Mathematical models.
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Demography.

HB849.51 .T87 2011

304.6