Several lines of archaeological evidence are presented in this paper to suggest the existence of class warfare among the Classic Maya and of issues that historically have been associated with class conflict. This evidence indicates that class warfare may have halted the rule of the monument-producing, or Classic, elites and precipitated the depopulation of the lowland area. The theory is evaluated quantitatively by testing for time-related mathematical patterns that have been found to characterize large-scale conflicts in historical societies. The information used in the evaluation involves the time series data on the duration of rule by Classic elites as inferred from the production of monuments with Long Count dates at a sample of 82 ceremonial centers. The analyses confirm that the Maya data do exhibit the temporal and geographical patterns predicted from the class conflict explanation of the Classic Maya collapse. Alternative predictions from the other theories are considered but generally not found to be supported by these data.
Data from the Older Male Cohort of the National Longitudinal Surveys are analyzed in this study to investigate antecedents of perceptions of personal control. Particular attention is given to the effects of individual health factors. The findings support the life stress model that assumes that social conditions and environmental changes affect individual perceptions of control via opportunities and resources for carrying out efficacious actions. The analysis suggests, however, that various untested moderating conditions determine the nature and direction of the impact. Future investigations are needed to identify these moderating variables and specify their differential effects.
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