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the utility of pluralism: M. G. Smith and plural theory
Author(s) -
LÉON MADELINE BARBARA,
LÉONS WILLIAM
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
american ethnologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.875
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1548-1425
pISSN - 0094-0496
DOI - 10.1525/ae.1977.4.3.02a00100
Subject(s) - plural , pluralism (philosophy) , causality (physics) , epistemology , sociology , politics , philosophy , linguistics , law , political science , physics , quantum mechanics
This paper reevaluates plural theory and its implications through an analysis of M. G. Smith's contribution. Difficulties encountered stem from Smith's preoccupation with political causality and his assignment of conflict and consensus theory to two different kinds of society. We conclude that neither of these assumptions is integral to plural theory per se. Plural theory is capable of asking the appropriate questions concerning how the vertical corporations of a plural society are created, maintained, and transformed.