The "Assabiyya"

Concerning the discipline of Sociology it is interesting to note that he conceived of a theory of social conflict. He developed the dichotomy of "town" versus "desert," as well as the concept of a "generation," and the inevitable loss of power that occurs when desert warriors conquer a city. Following a contemporary Arab scholar, Sati' al-Husri, it can be suggested that the Muqaddimah is essentially a sociological work; six books of general sociology. Included topics include politics, urban life, economics, and knowledge. The work is based around Ibn Khaldun's central concept of "asabiyyah", which has been translated as "social cohesion", "group solidarity", "blood ties," or "tribalism."

Source: Wikipedia