Social system

About: Social system is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2974 publications have been published within this topic receiving 92395 citations.

Coherent social action

Abstract: Formal analyses of social action for Distributed A.I. (DAI) have focussed, almost exclusively, on scenarios in which participat- ing agents have a joint intention to act. While such scenarios are significant, there are many examples of artificial and natural social systems in which joint intention not only does not occur, but is not even a practical possibility. This paper proposes that a deep theory of social action should account for the whole spectrum of social ac- tion types within the same framework. It is argued that coherence is an attribute which unifies different types of social action, and is therefore a possible starting point for a deep theory. A discussion and subsequent formalisation of coherence is then presented. This model of coherence is used as the foundation upon which to build a new formalisation of team action. The framework in which these formalisations are presented is a new quantifiedmulti-modal logic.

Cause and effect in social mobility tables

Abstract: The processes that facilitate or impede social mobility result from complex interactions of social and economic forces, traditions, and values of the social system. Exactly how do these processes develop? How do they work? How are they changed? Which aspects of the processes are decisive, and which are unimportant? Here the author uses data on occupational mobility to construct and test a model which, it is hoped, will serve as a guide in the development of a statistical mechanics for large social systems.

The Distinctions within Organizations: Luhmann from a Cultural Perspective

Abstract: Cultural theories of organization generally focus on deciphering and deconstructing forms of meaning and social constructions of reality used in organizational behaviour. In line with this approach, Luhmann emphasizes the important role of distinctions and semantics for the production and orientation of organizations. However, producing organizations is, in his view, not just a matter of reality construction. It means the actual production of a specific social system using specific distinctions in recursively related communications. This paper first shows that Luhmann’s writings are helpful to identify the constitutive distinctions for organization as a specific type of social system. Relating Luhmann’s theory of organization to his theory of functionally differentiated society, it identifies, second, the specifying distinctions that are responsible for the specific problem orientations typical of modern organizations. In a third step, it shows how the distinctions and schemes used in organizations fit in...

Complexity of Social Systems

Abstract: The term “complexity” used frequently as a kind of “buzzword” has gained a specific role in the language of modern social sciences and social practice. A question is arising — how can we understand complexity of social systems/social phenomena which are characterized by limited possibility of explanation, unpredictability or low reliability of prediction? The aim of the paper is to provide a partial answer to this question. A survey of characteristics of complex systems and typology of various kinds of complexity, and of their sources is presented. It is also shown that broadly defined social systems (human systems) are aected by all kinds of complexity — they are “complexities of complexities”. Using the typology of interpretations of complexity as an example, it is shown what are the limitations of transferring knowledge from physics, chemistry, information theory and biology to the studies of complexity of social systems. It is especially emphasized that mathematical models, which are treated as objective when applied in social sciences must be considered as an element of intersubjective discourse.