Learning items
Explore shared ideas across books.
Society
ConceptSocial capital
Networks and associated trust and reciprocity can help people act together.
ConceptImagined simultaneity
People can imagine distant lives and events as unfolding alongside their own in shared time.
ConceptMembership and participation
Being listed as a member differs from interacting and doing collective work.
ConceptDefensive alliance
An agreement to resist attacks need not authorize joint offensive action.
ConceptImagined community
An imagined community involves a sense of shared membership among people who cannot all know one another personally.
ConceptCivic associations
Voluntary organizations can create repeated opportunities for cooperation.
VocabularyVernacular print-language
A vernacular print-language is a written medium based on languages used by wider populations rather than solely a learned elite language.
ConceptGeographical constraints
Terrain, climate and resources shape opportunities and constraints for societies.
ConceptBonding and bridging social capital
Ties within a group and ties across groups can offer different kinds of support.
ConceptNation, limits and sovereignty
A nation is imagined as a bounded political community with a claim to sovereignty.
VocabularyDynastic realm
A dynastic realm is a political domain associated with a ruling family and its authority.
ConceptCompetition and cooperation
Competition for resources and coordinated action can both shape social outcomes.
ConceptPolitical participation
People can engage in political life through voting and many other activities.
All items includes definitions still awaiting topic classification.