How does society renew itself?
Details
NOTE: This event has moved ahead by a month to May
Individuals are shaped by the societies they live in to a greater or lesser extent. But what shapes a society? Is a society something that is, in turn, something shaped by the collection of individuals it encompasses? Or is it better to see it as something that has a kind of life of its own, constituted by individuals but more than the sum of its parts?
Sociologists have tried to answer these types of questions in various ways. Niklas Luhmann (1927 – 1998) used a concept from biology to understand how a society might at least appear to have autonomous characteristics - autopoesis. An autopoietic system is one which reproduces itself from within itself; a plant, for example, reproduces its own cells using its own cells. Applying this to the study of society, Luhmann held that social systems have an identity which is constantly being reproduced. When that identity falls apart the social system ceases. Social systems are dependent on resources from their own closed environment though those resources are not a part of the operation of the system.
It's a fascinating topic and the text, ‘The Autopoiesis of Social Systems’ is dense but has the advantage this month of being one of our shorter reads.
Reading
Luhmann, N ‘The Autopoiesis of Social Systems’ (1986), in Sociocybernetic Paradoxes: Observation, Control and Evolution of Self-Steering Systems, eds. F. Geyer and J. Van d. Zeuwen. London: Sage, pp.172-92.
Physical: Out of print though available from the British Library - your local library might be able to arrange an inter-library loan.
As ever, you're strongly encouraged to read the text in advance so that you can make a full contribution to the discussion.
How does society renew itself?