Institutionalist and Marxist Theories of Evolution
Author(s)
Dugger, William M.; Sherman, Howard J.
Abstract
The Marxist and institutionalist theories of social evolution explain forces of change and resistance in society. Institutionalism, espoused by Thorstein Veblen, Clarence Ayres and their followers, considers human behavior as cultural. For institutionalists, cultures cause behavior changes. In the field of class conflict, institutionalists define exploitation based on a given time and place. Marxists, on the other hand, view exploitation as the direct result of technological factors.
