A Reflection on Jeffrey C. Alexander's Theory of Cultural Trauma: Using Integrative Propositional Analysis

ABSTRACT Evaluating a sociological theory necessitates a meta‐theoretical framework that uncovers its inner structure and logical robustness. This study aims to enhance our understanding of Jeffrey C. Alexander's theory of cultural trauma by independently analysing its structure using the integrative propositional analysis (IPA) method, without relying on empirical evidence. The IPA method systematically extracts the main propositions and interconnected concepts to assess the theory's internal robustness based on two key criteria: complexity (the expansion of concepts) and systemicity (the interconnection of concepts). These criteria indicate the theory's breadth and depth, respectively. The systemicity of a theory, measured on a scale from 0 to 1, reflects its degree of structural coherence. The results of the analysis reveal that Alexander's theory of cultural trauma consists of 29 complex concepts and 10 concatenated concepts, yielding an internal robustness score of 0.34 based on the relationship between these sets of concepts. Given that, according to the IPA method, the internal robustness of social science theories typically falls between 0.2 and 0.5 and generally remains below 0.25, the findings indicate that the theory of cultural trauma exhibits a high degree of internal robustness and, consequently, a strong logical structure.