Call for papers Temporalities Observed with Sociological Theories of Self-Referential Systems Time: September the 17th 22th, 2012 – Place: International University Centre of post-graduate studies (IUC), ; http://www.iuc.hr/ Address: Don Frana Bulicá 4 HR 20000 – Frame Systems theory has had a tremendous impact in social science since the 1950s. During the last decades, however, systems theory has been completely transformed. Especially the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory has transformed social theory and studies. Luhmann’s Theory” got its final form with his principal work in Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft 1 2 “Grand – 1997, though additional books, articles and interviews have been published. Whatever one thinks about the exact form of his analysis, sociological theory has been transformed by the “Luhmann effect”. Although Luhmann’s general theory is very abstract and distanced whenever he does not his own analyses of semantic differentiations, there is a strong drive towards analyses of empirical studies that use Luhmann’s insights. The very abstract character of the general theory apparently has a fruitful effect. What is often seen as normal and natural objects are observed as improbable, and new questions can be posed as to how they emerge, how they are codified, which forms their communication get etc. In fact, Luhmann’s theory about modern society and its emergence is quite a grounded theory based on extensive studies of social semantics in history as well as in an impressive scale of disciplines. All kinds of matters from pedagogic, art and religion to social research, organisation, law, politics and international conflicts are subjects for system research strategies. As the theory is empirically open, new semantics, different codes, and changing forms turn out to change and develop structures at higher levels. The social dimensions of communication as well as structural couplings in-between differentiated material dimensions have often been addressed. This conference will try to address the empirical use of luhmannian systems theory with a certain focus on time-dimensions. One aspect is the speed of societal forms, their acceleration or deceleration. Another is the analysis of past, present and future including the themes of risk and trust. Very
Call for papers Temporalities Observed with Sociological Theories of Self-Referential Systems Time: September the 17th – 22th, 2012 Place: International University Centre of post-graduate studies (IUC), ; http://www.iuc.hr/ Address: Don Frana Bulicá 4 HR – 20000 Frame Systems theory has had a tremendous impact in social science since the 1950s. During the last decades, however, systems theory has been completely transformed. Especially the German sociologist Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory has transformed social theory and studies. Luhmann’s “Grand Theory” got its final form with his principal work Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft 1 – 2 in 1997, though additional books, articles and interviews have been published. Whatever one thinks about the exact form of his analysis, sociological theory has been transformed by the “Luhmann effect”. Although Luhmann’s general theory is very abstract and distanced whenever he does not his own analyses of semantic differentiations, there is a strong drive towards analyses of empirical studies that use Luhmann’s insights. The very abstract character of the general theory apparently has a fruitful effect. What is often seen as normal and natural objects are observed as improbable, and new questions can be posed as to how they emerge, how they are codified, which forms their communication get etc. In fact, Luhmann’s theory about modern society and its emergence is quite a grounded theory based on extensive studies of social semantics in history as well as in an impressive scale of disciplines. All kinds of matters from pedagogic, art and religion to social research, organisation, law, politics and international conflicts are subjects for system research strategies. As the theory is empirically open, new semantics, different codes, and changing forms turn out to change and develop structures at higher levels. The social dimensions of communication as well as structural couplings in-between differentiated material dimensions have often been addressed. This conference will try to address the empirical use of luhmannian systems theory with a certain focus on time-dimensions. One aspect is the speed of societal forms, their acceleration or deceleration. Another is the analysis of past, present and future including the themes of risk and trust. Very