Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/569

 SOCIAL CONTROL 555

But when the substance of these tangent associations so nterpenetrates that they cannot secede and lead a separate existence, that is to say, when they are interdependent social classes with conflicting economic interests nursing each its antagonism to the other, the danger to order is very great. The sect ethos saps the life of the social ethos. In many directions control is paralyzed. Society loses in contractile power. There remains sometimes no bond but the hard outer shell of military force, which may or may not be strong enough to hold together in peace the hostile classes that have formed within it.

Now, under what conditions does society split up into jar- ring groups ? The first condition, of course, is sharp conflict of interest. But this alone is not enough. There is conflict of interest between merchants and farmers, between taxpayers and tax-eaters, yet these do not form the true sects. The second condition is great contrast of means, resulting in extremes of misery and luxury. Especially important is this when the misery or uncertainty from which a class suffers appears to rise out of the social organization rather than to flow from nature. But this is still not enough. Such contrast does not always beget class consciousness and solidarity. The third and decisive condition is a great inequality of opportunity, coinciding with a great inequality of possessions.

For observe that the poor do not generate a militant ethos of their own if their Mite are able to escape upward. In the zone of new lands that belts western civilization the doors of opportunity stand open, and the spectacle of mountainous wealth does not, of necessity, breed envy and wrath. The capable poor, the natural founders of a sect within the proletarian class, acquiesce in the status quo, because they hope to be possessors themselves some day. On the white man's frontier, the Far West, Alaska, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Siberia, property is easy to defend and order easy to maintain, because, in spite of economic contrast, opportunities abound. The social sub- stance running smooth and unbroken from top to bottom, social control may be moral and mild. In older countries, however, the good places are occupied, escape from one's lot is more hopeless,