Differentiation of Society

Abstract

Recent developments in systems theory have replaced the paradigm of the whole and its parts with the paradigm of system and environment. System differentiation, therefore, has to be conceived as the reduplication of the difference between system and environment within systems. Differentiation is the reflexive form of system building. In the special case of the society as the encompassing social system, this approach makes it possible (1) to analyse different types of differentiation (i.e. segmentation, stratification, and functional differentiation) within a common conceptual framework, (2) to elaborate on internal problems of differentiated societies, basing the autonomy of subsystems on the multiplication of system references for functional orientation, performance, and reflexion, and (3) to prepare the theoretical integration of systems theory and the theory of evolution. Resume Des developpements recents dans la theorie des systemes viennent de remplacer le paradigme du tout et de ses composants par celui du paradigme du systeme et de son milieu. Par consequent, la differentiation du systeme doit etre concue comme le redoublement de la difference qui existe entre le systeme et l'environnement a l'interieur des systemes. La differentiation represente la forme reflechie de la construction d'un systeme. Dans le cas special de la societe concue comme systeme social ambiant, cette approche permet de rendre possible (1) l'analyse des types varies de differentiation (a savoir la segmentation, la stratification et la differentiation fonctionnelle) a l'interieur d'un cadre conceptuel commun; (2) d'etudier en detail les problemes internes des societes differenciees, en basant l'autonomie des sous-systemes sur la multiplication des references appliquees aux systemes pour l'orientation, fonctionnelle l'execution et la reflexion; et (3) de preparer l'integration theorique de la th6orie des systemes et de la th6orie de l'volution.

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