The Collapse of Complex Societies: Amazon.fr: Joseph A. Tainter, Colin Renfrew, Wendy Ashmore, Clive Gamble, John O'Shea: Livres anglais et étrangers. Joseph Tainter. Joseph A. Tainter (born December 8, 1949) is an American anthropologist and historian. Biography[edit] Joseph Tainter was born on December 8, 1949. He is married to Bonnie Bagley and they have one child, Emmet Bagley Tainter. Tainter studied anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley and Northwestern University, where he received his Ph.D. in 1975.[1] As of 2012[update] he holds a professorship in the Department of Environment and Society at Utah State University. Tainter has written or edited many articles and monographs. Social complexity[edit] According to Tainter's Collapse of Complex Societies, societies become more complex as they try to solve problems. When a society confronts a "problem," such as a shortage of energy, or difficulty in gaining access to it, it tends to create new layers of bureaucracy, infrastructure, or social class to address the challenge.
It is often assumed that the collapse of the western Roman Empire was a catastrophe for everyone involved. Collapse of Complex Societies by Dr. Joseph Tainter (1 of 7) Collapse of Complex Societies by Dr. Joseph Tainter (2 of 7) Complexity Killed Your Company.