Topic
Social system
About: Social system is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2974 publications have been published within this topic receiving 92395 citations.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
More filters
Book•
01 Jan 1970
TL;DR: The concept of the military participation ratio was first proposed by Andrzejewski as mentioned in this paper, whose discussion of the "military participation ratio" was first presented in English in 1954 and has subsequently been critically reviewed and applied by a number of writers, including the sociologist Philip Abrams (Past and Present, 1963), and separately by the historians Marwick and Milward.
Abstract: system in general, and indeed on aspects of social policy and welfare provision in particular. Such a theory was offered by Andrzejewski, whose discussion of the 'military participation ratio' was first presented in English in 1954. It has subsequently been critically reviewed and applied by a number of writers, including the sociologist Philip Abrams (Past and Present, 1963), and separately by the historians Marwick and Milward.
208 citations
Book•
[...]
01 Jan 2012
TL;DR: The second volume of Niklas Luhmann's two-part final work was first published in German in 1997 The culmination of his thirty-year theoretical project to reconceptualize sociology, it offers a comprehensive description of modern society beginning with an account of the fluidity of meaning and the accordingly high improbability of successful communication as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: This second volume of Niklas Luhmann's two-part final work was first published in German in 1997 The culmination of his thirty-year theoretical project to reconceptualize sociology, it offers a comprehensive description of modern society Beginning with an account of the fluidity of meaning and the accordingly high improbability of successful communication, Luhmann analyzes a range of communicative media, including language, writing, the printing press, and electronic media, as well as "success media," such as money, power, truth, and love, all of which structure this fluidity and make communication possible The book asks what gives rise to functionally differentiated social systems, how they evolve, and how social movements, organizations, and patterns of interaction emerge The advent of the computer and its networks, which triggered potentially far-reaching processes of restructuring, receives particular attention A concluding chapter on the semantics of modern society's self-description bids farewell to the outdated theoretical approaches of "old Europe"-that is, to ontological, holistic, ethical, and critical interpretations of society-and argues that concepts such as "the nation," "the subject," and "postmodernity" are vastly overrated In their stead, "society"-long considered a suspicious term by sociologists, one open to all kinds of reification-is defined in purely operational terms It is the always uncertain answer to the question of what comes next in all areas of communication
207 citations
TL;DR: Anthropology can make a holistic contribution to the study of the com plex societies of today's nations, by identifying key issues, relevant to both the in-individual and the social system, on which...
Abstract: Anthropology can make a holistic contribution to the study of the com plex societies of today's nations, by identifying key issues, relevant to both the in dividual and the social system, on which ...
202 citations
TL;DR: In his critique of Luhmann's sociology, Habermas (1987) argued that individuation and socialization are possible on the basis of linguistic structures and touched the blind spot of sociological systems theory as a meta-biology.
Abstract: In his critique of Luhmann's sociology, Habermas (1987) argued that individuation and socialization are possible on the basis of linguistic structures. This critique touches the blind spot of sociological systems theory as a meta-biology. Whereas the paradigm shift from action theory towards communication theory was fully reflected in Luhmann's sociology, the difference between the self-organization of social systems and the autopoiesis of biological systems remained underspecified. Social systems allow for communication about observations from within the system and/or from another perspective. Observers are able to participate both in the variation and in the selection; Giddens (1976) introduced in this context the metaphor of a ‘double hermeneutics’. Through language the distinction between uncertainty and meaningful information is communicated reflexively, and the consequent codification may be changed without becoming confused. The implied communicative competences can be specified from the perspective of communication theory. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
202 citations
01 Jan 1985
TL;DR: The theory of structuration is at the heart of social theory, and should hence also be regarded as of very considerable importance for the conduct of empirical research in the social sciences.
Abstract: Most social analysts treat time and space as mere environments of action, and accept unthinkingly the conception of time, as mensurable clock time, characteristic of modern Western culture. With the exception of the recent works of geographers — of which more in a moment — social scientists have failed to construct their thinking around the modes in which social systems are constituted across time-space. I want to argue that investigation of this issue is one main task of what I call the theory of structuration; it is not a specific type or ‘area’ of social science, which can be pursued or discarded at will. It is at the heart of social theory, and should hence also be regarded as of very considerable importance for the conduct of empirical research in the social sciences.
201 citations