846 SOCIAL STRUCTURE 



innumerable. The process by which this is brought about is what 

 I have called "social differentiation." But it cannot always last. 

 A new process supervenes, and the stage of social differentiation 

 is succeeded by a stage of social integration. The protosocial stage 

 closes, and the metasocial stage comes on. In the protosocial stage 

 the social structure is the simplest possible. The horde or clan is 

 composed altogether of similar elements. The multiplication of 

 such groups can be nothing but a repetition of similar groups, and 

 there can be no change or variation, and therefore no progress or 

 structural advance. Throughout the protosocial, as throughout 

 the protozoic stage, there is no structural development, no evolution. 

 The differentiation consists simply in the multiplication of practi- 

 cally identical clans. Just as organic evolution began with the 

 metazoic stage, so social evolution began with the metasocial stage. 

 So, too, as the metazoic stage was brought about through the 

 union of several or many unicellular organisms into a multicellular 

 organism, so the metasocial stage was brought about by the union 

 of two or more simple hordes or clans into a compound group of 

 amalgamated hordes or clans. In the organic world the result was 

 the formation of tissues, the multiplication of organs, and the 

 integration of the parts thus united into complete organisms. In 

 the social world the result w r as the formation of what may be properly 

 called social tissues, the multiplication of social organs, and the 

 integration of all the elements thus combined into peoples, states, 

 and nations. The study of social structure properly begins here; 

 but social structure would be wholly unintelligible without a clear 

 idea of both the principle and the materials of social structure. 

 The principle is the interaction of antagonistic forces, and the 

 materials are the primitive hordes and clans brought into existence 

 by the process of social differentiation. We have now to descend 

 from generalities and inquire into the specific character of social 

 integration. A great area has become inhabited by innumerable 

 human groups, but there is no organic connection between them. 

 Each group lays claim to a certain area of territory, but they begin 

 to encroach upon one another. Two groups thus brought into prox- 

 imity may be, and usually are, utterly unknown to each other. The 

 mutual encroachment is certain to produce hostility. War is the 

 result, and one of the two groups is almost certain to prove the 

 superior warrior and to conquer the other. The first step in the 

 whole process is the conquest of one race by another. This is the 

 beginning of the struggle of races of which we have all heard so 

 much. Most persons regard this struggle as the greatest of all 

 human misfortunes. But the sociologist studies the effects of race- 

 struggle and finds in it the basis of his science. The first effect is 

 the subjugation of one race by another. The second effect is the 



