On the Principles of Social Gravity [Revised edition]

How Human Systems Work, From the Family to the United Nations

Tobore Tobore

• Publisher: Vernon Art and Science Inc.
• Year: 2018
• eBook ISBN: 9781622733972
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Sociology
• Index: Social Sciences

“On the Principles of Social Gravity” proposes a radical new way of thinking about social systems. It explains that all social systems –institutions created of and for human beings e.g. healthcare system, family, military etc., – are held together or governed by nine principles or rules. Using these principles, it examined the problems facing the US healthcare system, criminal justice system, social security, student debt crisis, tax policies, immigration, the political system, and the United Nations. Then, provided novel and unique solutions to them.

It expands on the meaning of social entropy and explains how it affects all social systems. It explains new terms like social gravity, de-entropification, primary and secondary contributors, negative and positive homogeneity, positive and negative homogenous group, homogenization, etc. that many readers will find enlightening and very interesting. It is a book that is likely to spark national and even global discussions about many of the institutions we have created. It’s originality and usefulness makes it very likely that it will find a wide audience and many of its terms may become popular in the wider society. Since anyone could use the same principles developed in this book to understand and solve the problems with any social system, it will be useful for adoption in the university, for researchers and professors in the social sciences.

Introduction to Social Gravity

The family, healthcare system, Social Security, schools, the military, community, nation-state, criminal justice system, and the United Nations all have one common denominator; they are institutions created of and for human beings. So, although they may look very different because of their tremendous range in size and purpose, the factors that influence their success and failure are the same. These systems can all be categorized as human or social systems.

In the United States, many social systems appear broken. The political, economic, higher education, criminal justice, and higher education, healthcare systems all seem to be showing signs of strain.

On the political front, politicians from both sides of the aisle seeking office shout the same slogans of change and promise of reforms, only to maintain the status quo once elected. The Citizens United ruling, released in January 2010, which eliminated the corporate and union ban on making independent expenditures and financing electioneering communications, only helped reinforce the idea that the political system is rigged in favor of the rich and powerful (Liptak, 2010). The rise of populist politicians in the 2016 election cycle, like candidate Senator Bernie Sanders and the electoral victory of Donald Trump, is a testament to the deep sense of frustration many Americans feel towards Washington’s elites and the entire political system.

On the economic front, ordinary Americans are struggling with stagnant wages and debts. The middle class is shrinking, and inequality is on the rise (Pew Research Center, 2016). According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in the United States, the average income of the richest 10% is almost 20 times as large as for the poorest 10% while the OECD average is 9.6. The United States is now the most unequal of all Western nations, with significantly less social mobility than Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland (Förster and Levy 2004). Globalization and trade agreements have changed the job market perhaps forever, with mixed results. The Occupy movement that began on September 17, 2011, is evidence that the current economic paradigm is not working well for everyone.

In the higher education sector, many college graduates are drowning in massive debt with no idea how they can repay their loans. The total outstanding student loan debt in the US is well above $1.4 trillion, and over 44 million Americans hold student loans (Student Loan Hero, 2017). According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, one in four student loan borrowers is either in delinquency or default on their student loans. For many college graduates, the future appears difficult, and the decision to go college increasingly looks like a mistake.

The criminal justice system is facing its own problems. According to the center of prison studies, the US has less than 5% of the world population, but about 25% of the world’s prisoners. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws have caused the prison population to balloon (James, 2016). The recent deaths of unarmed citizens at the hands of law enforcement officers, as well as the killing of law enforcement officers, is evidence of considerable distrust and legitimacy issues in the system. Also, the rise of protest movements, like Black Lives Matter and other activist groups due to criminal justice concerns, is a sign that the system isn’t working optimally for all Americans.

In the healthcare sector, there are serious issues of affordability and universal access. The US spends more on healthcare than most developed countries, yet affordable quality care remains elusive for many Americans. Health spending accounted for 17.8% of the nation’s economy in 2015: that’s $3.2 trillion, or an average of nearly $10,000 per person (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2017). This is the highest in the world. A survey conducted by The New York Times and the Kaiser Family Foundation found that many Americans face financial hardship from medical bills and having health insurance does not buffer against this hardship (Sanger-Katz, 2016). The Affordable Care Act (ACA), or Obamacare as it is popularly called, was supposed to reduce costs and give more Americans access to healthcare services. Although it succeeded in covering more Americans, it is showing signs of buckling under its own weight. Premiums and deductibles have skyrocketed for most healthcare plans, and many insurance companies are pulling out of its exchanges. A Kaiser Family Foundation analysis estimated that 31% of US counties would have only one insurer in 2017 (Cox and Semanskee, 2016). The future of the ACA looks increasingly uncertain, and quality care for all Americans remains a distant dream.

On the international stage, the threat of a major escalation or war looms. The United Nations (UN), the organization entrusted with managing global affairs, is failing to live up to its duties. Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the inability of the UN to resolve the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and the failure of the UN to act decisively to stop the loss of lives in Syria have clearly revealed the organization is stuck in the past, unable to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

Over time, social systems have a natural tendency to move towards greater disorder, decay, and breakdown. This explains the disorder and decay with social systems in America. This tendency to increased disorder and decay has been described as social entropy (Klaus 1986; Bailey, 1990).

Entropy is always present in a social system. It could be low or high. In a state of high entropy, a social system is characterized by such vices as fraud, waste, inefficiency, corruption, dissatisfaction, crime, financial distress, ethnic and racial tensions, moral breakdown, conflict, discrimination, and all those factors that hamper its ability to thrive. On the other hand, in a state of low social entropy, the system is free of most of the vices or problems that could hamper its success. It might exhibit small or insignificant levels of decay or stress, but overall it functions and operates well.

Every member of a social system can be described as a contributor to the system. The contribution of a contributor to the system entails their input in the system, their burden, competence, expertise, skill, or qualification. There are two types of contributors: primary and secondary contributors. Primary contributors are those at the foundation of the system without which the system cannot exist, and secondary contributors (or third parties) are those who augment th...

Table of contents

• Preface
• Chapter 1 Introduction to Social Gravity
• Chapter 2 The Healthcare System
• Chapter 3 The Criminal Justice System
• Chapter 4 Social Security
• Chapter 5 The Nation-State and Immigration
• Chapter 6 Higher Education and Student Loans
• Chapter 7 Tax Policies, Inequality and Economic Growth
• Chapter 8 The Political System and Government
• Chapter 9 The United Nations and the Security Council
• Chapter 10 Final Conclusions
• Bibliography
• Index