Macrotheory

Macrotheory is a field of theoretical analysis that seeks to explain large-scale, structural features and long-run dynamics of complex systems. It is concerned with broad patterns and processes that operate across individuals or organizations, such as social institutions, economies, and political order, rather than with specific, micro-level actions. In this sense, macrotheory stands in contrast to microtheory, which concentrates on individual behavior, small-scale interactions, or case-level mechanisms.

Across disciplines, macrotheories share an emphasis on interconnected structures, feedback mechanisms, and emergent properties. In sociology, macrotheories include structural functionalism, conflict theory, modernization and world-systems theory, which analyze how institutions, social stratification, and historical processes shape society. In economics, macrotheory studies aggregate variables such as GDP, inflation, unemployment, and policy effects, through models ranging from Keynesian frameworks to neoclassical growth and dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) systems. In political science and international relations, macrotheory examines state power, institutions, and the dynamics of governance and globalization.

Methodologically, macrotheory combines formal modelling, comparative-historical analysis, and large-scale empirical data. It seeks general laws or regularities that apply across contexts, while often incorporating microfoundations or linking to micro-level research. Criticisms of macrotheory focus on its abstraction, risk of overgeneralization, and challenges in falsifiability and measurement; proponents defend its value in providing coherent explanations for system-wide phenomena and in guiding policy or further micro-level research.