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

• Timothy F. H. Allen – British botanist and academic
• Big History – Education strategy or academic discipline
• Biological organisation – Hierarchy of complex structures and systems within biological sciences
• Deep ecology – Ecological and environmental philosophy
• Deep history – Academic discipline that studies humanity's origins
• Deep time – Time scales on the billions of years
• Dependency theory – International relations theory
• Infrastructure-based development – Development based on long-term infrastructure investments
• Structuralist economics – Approach to economics
• World-systems theory – Approach emphasizing the world-system as the primary unit of social analysis