Strategic Group Analysis: Theory and Method for the Analysis of Complex Southeast Asian Societies

Hans-Dieter Evers

《Southeast Asian Social Science Review》 6卷1期 (2021/05) Pp. 5-27

https://doi.org/10.29945/SEASSR.202105_6(1).0001

摘要

Southeast Asian societies, drawing on long and complex relationships to their neighbours in the East (China, Japan, Korea) and the West (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Middle East and Europe) have developed unique and extremely complex social structures. A sociological macro analysis of these societies requires new and unique approaches. Common methods of social analysis, mostly developed in Europe, do not necessarily suffice to analyse societies of extreme ethnic diversity. This paper suggests a new approach, building on, but going beyond classical social theories of class, social change and modernisation. We start with the idea that whenever new resources become available in the course of social development, new groups emerge that attempt to gain access to these resources. If they develop strategies to maintain or change the social, political or economic system in such a way as to maximise the chances to the appropriate resource, we designate these social formations as ＂strategic groups＂. The paper summarizes strategic group theory to show under which conditions strategic groups are formed, enter into coalitions or merge into hybrid strategic groups, combining different forms of appropriation. Finally, conditions for class formation are described, combining aspects of Weberian and Marxist social theory for strategic group analysis. After these theoretical expositions, the paper outlines basic methods of strategic group analysis on a macro level and explores the use of participatory rapid appraisal (PRA) for the analysis of local power relations.

關鍵字

Macro analysis ； social theory ； social classes ； strategic groups ； participatory rapid appraisal (PRA)