A Review of the Application of Self-Organized Criticality Theory in Historical and Socio-Political Research

This article reviews empirical and theoretical studies conducted over the past three decades that apply the approaches and tools of self-organized criticality (SOC) theory to research in the fields of history, political science, and sociology. The expansion of SOC into the social sciences and humanities reflects a demand for methodological frameworks capable of addressing research problems related to fundamental issues of complexity and instability. Originating in the natural sciences, SOC has evolved into a meta-disciplinary paradigm. Its integration into historical and socio-political research has given rise to a distinct line of inquiry that has not only demonstrated the applicability of the theory to the analysis of social systems but also revealed its considerable heuristic value. The expansion of SOC theory is an episode in a large and long-term interdisciplinary dialogue involving many ideas. This review analyzed the subject matter of this line of inquiry, highlighting the stages of its development from its initial emergence and outlining its key theoretical contributions. Special attention was paid to the design and heuristic potential of major studies. The reviewed literature typically identifies SOC patterns in empirical data—both historical and contemporary—and formulates hypotheses based on SOC models and universal explanatory frameworks. Where supported, these studies contribute to the advancement of domain-specific knowledge. SOC models play a heuristically significant role in this theory. They are the source of hypotheses and explanatory schemes, which are then tested for compliance with empirical data. At the center of the SOC theory is the “sand pile” model, which simulates all the key provisions of this concept. Several studies demonstrate that phenomena such as punctuated equilibrium and abrupt crises are characteristic of social systems exhibiting SOC behavior.