Returning to the department he helped build, Charles Tilly became the fourth speaker in the annual S.D. Clark Lecture Series presented by the department of sociology.
In 1965, Tilley was brought to U of T by sociology department founder Samuel Delbert Clark. He lectured in the fledgling department until 1969 and has since been a professor at many prominent institutions including New York City’s Columbia University, where he currently teaches.
Speaking last Thursday at University of Toronto Schools, Tilly described three sociological tenets that dictate how struggle can have democratizing and de-democratizing effects. Conflict is the only consistent element in the process of democratization; there are no overarching principles in societal democratization and it must be examined case by case. Second, one must examine the relationships between political and non-political issues within any struggle to understand how these issues affect trust and inequality within a society. Third, Tilly felt that crises do not paralyze society: they accelerate change.
To illustrate his model, Tilly examined the history of Switzerland, in particular the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Switzerland’s democratization was the result of fallout from the French Revolution and the disputes that took place throughout the Swiss federation.
The result was the Swiss, whom he described as being “among the most warlike people in Europe,” began to institute democratic processes and subsequently emerged as the pacifist and neutral country we know today.
One way in which de-democratization takes place is through increases in societal inequality. Tilly made note of the importance of financial capital and access to scientific progress and how their inequalites are a direct challenge to democracy in today’s world. Furthermore, he noted that governments must have the capacity to ensure social agreements which, in turn, support democratic ideals.
