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Luhmann’s Sociological Systems Theory and the Study of Social Problems
Uppsala university, Sweden.
Linköping University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Linköping University, Department of Social and Welfare Studies, Social Work.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1201-1175
2018 (English)In: The Cambridge Handbook of Social Problems, Vol 1 / [ed] Treviño, A. Javier., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018, p. 221-240Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This chapter discusses social problems from the perspective of Niklas Luhmann's sociological systems theory. We argue that his theory provides a rich framework to gain relevant insights for the study of social problems. The key element of systems theory is the concept of functionally differentiated society, that is, a heterarchical arrangement of social systems such as the economy, polity, religion, science. Luhmann's theory connects core ideas from both realist and constructionist epistemologies without ending up in inconsistencies or contradictions. The theory gives justice to realism insofar as it takes the systemic nature of social phenomena seriously and it defies simplistic models of causality, steering, planning, and intervention. Systems theory is constructionist insofar as it takes the multiperspectivity of modern society seriously: many social systems construct their own definitions of social problems including underlying causalities and values. The same social problem appears differently from different systems’ perspectives.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. p. 221-240
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-195516Libris ID: p688qnq5mdxlh25sISBN: 9781108656184 (electronic)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:liu-195516DiVA, id: diva2:1772085
Available from: 2023-06-21 Created: 2023-06-21 Last updated: 2023-10-26Bibliographically approved

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Michailakis, Dimitris

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Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • oxford
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf