most important is his ideas that as society becomes more complex, the types of group affiliations must change and expand in a similar manner. Without this social purpose, says Simmel, societal division will produce social conditions far too heterogeneous to be effective (pp. 194 5).
Simmel's basic theoretical assumptions are that the intensity of conflict relates directly with the emotional involvement of the parties and that the greater the previous intimacy, hostility or jealousy, the greater the emotional involvement is likely to be (pp. 38 50). His theory is able to meld with the empirical evidence presented (pp.
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