Hierarchy theory

Hierarchy theory is a means of studying ecological systems in which the relationship between all of the components is of great complexity. Hierarchy theory focuses on levels of organization and issues of scale, with a specific focus on the role of the observer in the definition of the system.^[1] Complexity in this context does not refer to an intrinsic property of the system but to the possibility of representing the systems in a plurality of non-equivalent ways depending on the pre-analytical choices of the observer. Instead of analyzing the whole structure, hierarchy theory refers to the analysis of hierarchical levels, and the interactions between them.

See also

• Biological organisation
• Timothy F. H. Allen
• Deep history
• Big History
• Deep time
• Deep ecology
• Infrastructure-based development
• World-systems theory
• Structuralist economics
• Dependency theory