G Edward Stephan
Biographic Data
| ID | 3632149 |
|---|---|
| NAME | G Edward Stephan |
| GIVEN NAMES | G Edward |
| FAMILY NAME | Stephan |
| SIGNATURE | STEPHAN G E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Western Washington University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 70 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1970 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1984 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Population Redistribution and Changes in the Size-Density Slope
As regional population density increases territorial units tend to subdivide. For maximum societal time-efficiency the slope relating the logarithms of unit areas to those of unit densities should be −2/3. When boundaries become fixed, however, observed slopes tend to drift toward a value of zero. It was earlier hypothesized that such slope-erosion was due to increasing concentration of the population. Historical data for the primary political di…
Territorial Subdivision
From the assumption that social structures evolve under the constraint of minimizing the total time expended on their operation, I derive equations describing the number, distribution, area, and population of territorial subdivisions. I show haw this derivation is connected with earlier ones, how an error stemming from several earlier derivations need no longer arise, and review research done to date. Many of the derived equations are new and hav…
A Research Note on Deriving the Square-Cube Law of Formal Organizations from the Theory of Time-Minimization
Journal Article A Research Note on Deriving the Square-Cube Law of Formal Organizations from the Theory of Time-Minimization Get access G. Edward Stephan G. Edward Stephan Western Washington University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Social Forces, Volume 61, Issue 3, March 1983, Pages 847–854, https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/61.3.847 Published: 01 March 1983
The Undergraduate Curriculum in Sociology
Statistical and Historical Analyses of Nations Which Deviate From the Size-Density Law
We examine nations which deviate significantly from the −2/3 sizedensity slope previously observed for the aggregated political subdivisions of 98 modern nations and previously derived from the theory of timeminimization. We correct Stephan’s original list of deviant nations, demonstrate that all slopes more negative than −2/3 were due to the erroneous inclusion of cities in the original data sets, develop a theory to account for the less negativ…
Tolerance of Sexual Nonconformity
Phillips, David 1974 The influence of suggestion on suicide: substantive and theoretical implications of the Werther effect. American Sociological Review 39:340-54. 1977 Motor vehicle fatalities increase just after publicized suicide stories. Science 196:1464-65. 1978 Airplane accident fatalities increase just after newspaper stories about murder and suicide. Science 201:748-50. 1979 Suicide, motor vehicle fatalities, and the mass media: evidence…
The Historical Distribution of County Seats in the United States
The inverse relation between the size and density of territorial subdivisions has been derivedfrom a general theory which assumes that social structures evolve so as to minimize time expenditure. This paper reviews the empirical work done on the size-density relation, its derivation from time-minimization theory, and the application of that theory to other empirical relations. We derived a new relation: service-center density is proportional to p…
Derivation of Some Social-Demographic Regularities from the Theory of Time-Minimization
Journal Article Derivation of Some Social-Demographic Regularities from the Theory of Time-Minimization Get access G. Edward Stephan G. Edward Stephan Western Washington University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Social Forces, Volume 57, Issue 3, March 1979, Pages 812–823, https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/57.3.812 Published: 01 March 1979
Derivation of Some Social-Demographic Regularities from the Theory of Time- Minimization
The size-density hypothesis in Great Britain
Recent studies have found size of territorial units to vary inversely with population density, the only exception to this regularity being Great Britain, where size and density were found to be unrelated. The present research accounts for this anomaly by demonstrating Britain’s historical conformity to the size-density relation. The size-density hypothesis is further supported by direct test, made possible by a recent reorganization of British co…
A Theory of Time-Minimization
Reply to Fox
Tribal Territories in Africa
cross-cultural test of an hypothesis derived from an earlier work (Stephan, 1972) which dealt with the size of counties in the United States as a whole, from 1790 to the present. In that work, the size of counties was shown to be inversely related to the intensity of settlement (population density) in the region in which counties were located. The of segmental growth developed to explain the relationship was based on Durkheim's (1933) theory of t…
Religion and the Survival of Utopian Communities
7he present paper reports on one aspect of a research project which we began several years ago on the longevity of utopian communities in nineteenth-century America. Our principal question was: what factors affect the chances for survival of communes? As will be indicated below, an exploratory study revealed that the question, as asked, could not be answered systematically given the nature of the data. However, the exploratory study did suggest o…
Interacting Populations in Space and Time
International Tests of the Size-Density Hypothesis
Variation in County Size
The Concept of Community in Human Ecology
Tolerance of Sexual Nonconformity
Phillips, David 1974 The influence of suggestion on suicide: substantive and theoretical implications of the Werther effect. American Sociological Review 39:340-54. 1977 Motor vehicle fatalities increase just after publicized suicide stories. Science 196:1464-65. 1978 Airplane accident fatalities increase just after newspaper stories about murder and suicide. Science 201:748-50. 1979 Suicide, motor vehicle fatalities, and the mass media: evidence…
Variation in County Size
International Tests of the Size-Density Hypothesis
Religion and the Survival of Utopian Communities
7he present paper reports on one aspect of a research project which we began several years ago on the longevity of utopian communities in nineteenth-century America. Our principal question was: what factors affect the chances for survival of communes? As will be indicated below, an exploratory study revealed that the question, as asked, could not be answered systematically given the nature of the data. However, the exploratory study did suggest o…
The Undergraduate Curriculum in Sociology
The Historical Distribution of County Seats in the United States
The inverse relation between the size and density of territorial subdivisions has been derivedfrom a general theory which assumes that social structures evolve so as to minimize time expenditure. This paper reviews the empirical work done on the size-density relation, its derivation from time-minimization theory, and the application of that theory to other empirical relations. We derived a new relation: service-center density is proportional to p…
A Theory of Time-Minimization
Tribal Territories in Africa
cross-cultural test of an hypothesis derived from an earlier work (Stephan, 1972) which dealt with the size of counties in the United States as a whole, from 1790 to the present. In that work, the size of counties was shown to be inversely related to the intensity of settlement (population density) in the region in which counties were located. The of segmental growth developed to explain the relationship was based on Durkheim's (1933) theory of t…
The Concept of Community in Human Ecology
A Research Note on Deriving the Square-Cube Law of Formal Organizations from the Theory of Time-Minimization
Journal Article A Research Note on Deriving the Square-Cube Law of Formal Organizations from the Theory of Time-Minimization Get access G. Edward Stephan G. Edward Stephan Western Washington University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Social Forces, Volume 61, Issue 3, March 1983, Pages 847–854, https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/61.3.847 Published: 01 March 1983
Statistical and Historical Analyses of Nations Which Deviate From the Size-Density Law
We examine nations which deviate significantly from the −2/3 sizedensity slope previously observed for the aggregated political subdivisions of 98 modern nations and previously derived from the theory of timeminimization. We correct Stephan’s original list of deviant nations, demonstrate that all slopes more negative than −2/3 were due to the erroneous inclusion of cities in the original data sets, develop a theory to account for the less negativ…
The size-density hypothesis in Great Britain
Recent studies have found size of territorial units to vary inversely with population density, the only exception to this regularity being Great Britain, where size and density were found to be unrelated. The present research accounts for this anomaly by demonstrating Britain’s historical conformity to the size-density relation. The size-density hypothesis is further supported by direct test, made possible by a recent reorganization of British co…
The Concept of Community in Human Ecology
Variation in County Size
Interacting Populations in Space and Time
International Tests of the Size-Density Hypothesis
Religion and the Survival of Utopian Communities
7he present paper reports on one aspect of a research project which we began several years ago on the longevity of utopian communities in nineteenth-century America. Our principal question was: what factors affect the chances for survival of communes? As will be indicated below, an exploratory study revealed that the question, as asked, could not be answered systematically given the nature of the data. However, the exploratory study did suggest o…
Tribal Territories in Africa
cross-cultural test of an hypothesis derived from an earlier work (Stephan, 1972) which dealt with the size of counties in the United States as a whole, from 1790 to the present. In that work, the size of counties was shown to be inversely related to the intensity of settlement (population density) in the region in which counties were located. The of segmental growth developed to explain the relationship was based on Durkheim's (1933) theory of t…
Reply to Fox
The size-density hypothesis in Great Britain
Recent studies have found size of territorial units to vary inversely with population density, the only exception to this regularity being Great Britain, where size and density were found to be unrelated. The present research accounts for this anomaly by demonstrating Britain’s historical conformity to the size-density relation. The size-density hypothesis is further supported by direct test, made possible by a recent reorganization of British co…
A Theory of Time-Minimization
Derivation of Some Social-Demographic Regularities from the Theory of Time-Minimization
Journal Article Derivation of Some Social-Demographic Regularities from the Theory of Time-Minimization Get access G. Edward Stephan G. Edward Stephan Western Washington University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Social Forces, Volume 57, Issue 3, March 1979, Pages 812–823, https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/57.3.812 Published: 01 March 1979
Derivation of Some Social-Demographic Regularities from the Theory of Time- Minimization
The Historical Distribution of County Seats in the United States
The inverse relation between the size and density of territorial subdivisions has been derivedfrom a general theory which assumes that social structures evolve so as to minimize time expenditure. This paper reviews the empirical work done on the size-density relation, its derivation from time-minimization theory, and the application of that theory to other empirical relations. We derived a new relation: service-center density is proportional to p…
The Undergraduate Curriculum in Sociology
Statistical and Historical Analyses of Nations Which Deviate From the Size-Density Law
We examine nations which deviate significantly from the −2/3 sizedensity slope previously observed for the aggregated political subdivisions of 98 modern nations and previously derived from the theory of timeminimization. We correct Stephan’s original list of deviant nations, demonstrate that all slopes more negative than −2/3 were due to the erroneous inclusion of cities in the original data sets, develop a theory to account for the less negativ…
Tolerance of Sexual Nonconformity
Phillips, David 1974 The influence of suggestion on suicide: substantive and theoretical implications of the Werther effect. American Sociological Review 39:340-54. 1977 Motor vehicle fatalities increase just after publicized suicide stories. Science 196:1464-65. 1978 Airplane accident fatalities increase just after newspaper stories about murder and suicide. Science 201:748-50. 1979 Suicide, motor vehicle fatalities, and the mass media: evidence…
A Research Note on Deriving the Square-Cube Law of Formal Organizations from the Theory of Time-Minimization
Journal Article A Research Note on Deriving the Square-Cube Law of Formal Organizations from the Theory of Time-Minimization Get access G. Edward Stephan G. Edward Stephan Western Washington University Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Social Forces, Volume 61, Issue 3, March 1983, Pages 847–854, https://doi.org/10.1093/sf/61.3.847 Published: 01 March 1983
Population Redistribution and Changes in the Size-Density Slope
As regional population density increases territorial units tend to subdivide. For maximum societal time-efficiency the slope relating the logarithms of unit areas to those of unit densities should be −2/3. When boundaries become fixed, however, observed slopes tend to drift toward a value of zero. It was earlier hypothesized that such slope-erosion was due to increasing concentration of the population. Historical data for the primary political di…
Territorial Subdivision
From the assumption that social structures evolve under the constraint of minimizing the total time expended on their operation, I derive equations describing the number, distribution, area, and population of territorial subdivisions. I show haw this derivation is connected with earlier ones, how an error stemming from several earlier derivations need no longer arise, and review research done to date. Many of the derived equations are new and hav…
Sociology (11 works) · Mathematics (9 works) · Geography (7 works) · Demography (5 works) · Economics (5 works) · Minification (5 works) · Econometrics (4 works) · Political science (4 works) · Population (4 works) · Psychology (4 works)