Mechanisms of state formation and collective action: An interview with Charles Tilly

Samenvatting

Following an introduction that offers a broad outline of Tilly's work on state formation and social mechanisms, the text of a 1993 interview conducted in Amsterdam, Netherlands, is presented. Tilly discusses his use of historical sociology and his opposition to the postmodern view in the context of a discussion on such topics as war and state making. Tilly also points out defects in Norbert Elias's theory of civilization and discusses his views on the collapse of Eastern European communism and the rise of ethnic nationalism. 1 Photograph, 42 References. R. Logsdon