ABSTRACT
The attention of sociologists, along with many others, has shifted to include a supranational level. This reflects a range of real and perceived interdependencies transcending local and national society. The human, military, political and economic tragedies of the first half of the 20th century—all of which were commonly seen as reflecting global causes and having global consequences— played a role. But so did the awareness of increasing political, military, economic and social interdependencies in the last half of the century. A world order developed and changed, and social theories of that world took form.
