Paper Status Tracking
Contact us
customer@davidpublishing.com
Click here to send a message to me 3275638434
Paper Publishing WeChat

Article
Affiliation(s)

University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy

ABSTRACT

This study, through a re-conceptualization of sociological complexity theory’s epistemological sources, specifically in Edgar Morin’s formulation, sheds light on the theoretical models as well as empirical methodologies of sociological analysis of today’s complex, interconnected, diverse and globalized society and global disorder. Complexity theory leads to a shift in perspective and a transformation of the epistemological status of social sciences with an in-depth intervention of disorder, contingency, case, singular, and non-repeatable in the sociological analysis. The notion of dialogic interplay is placed at the paradigm level and stands out at the heart of the concepts, analyzing the social system as auto-eco-organizer. Similarly, the notion of ‘emergence’ at macro-micro levels imposes itself as complex, logically requiring overcoming simple, linear thinking and model of explanation to adopt the perspective of organizational rotativity in which the product retroacts by transforming the one producing it, by conceiving a circularity of co-production between individuals and society through interactions. Declining epistemology and sociological complexity theory in the empirical methodology setting, the complex sociological approach is phenomenon-, event/information- and crisis-centered, privileging observation, participation-intervention, and ‘live inquiry’. The open, in-depth and possibly non-directive interview is part of clinical sociological methodology, raising the question of the observer-phenomenon-observed relation.

KEYWORDS

complexity sociology theory and methodology, social system, emergence, micro-macro analysis, participation-intervention

Cite this paper

Rina Manuela Contini. Sociological Complexity Theory: From Epistemology to Empirical Methodology. Sociology Study, May-June 2023, Vol. 13, No. 3, 105-115

References

Allen, T. F. H., & Starr, T. B. (1982). Hierarchy: Perspectives for ecological complexity. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Antonsich, M. (2014). Living together in diversity. A journey from scholarly views to people’s voices and back. Bollettino della Società Geografica Italiana, 13(7), 317-337.

Ashby, W. R. (1956). An introduction to cybernetics. London: Chapman & Hall.

Ashby, W. R. (1962). Principles of the self-organizing system. In H. von Foerster and G. W. Zopf, Jr. (Eds.), Principles of self-organization: Transactions of the University of Illinois symposium (pp. 255-278). London: Pergamon Press.

Ashmore, R. D., Deaux, K., & McLaughlin-Volpe, T. (2004). An organizing framework for collective identity: Articulation and significance of multidimensionality. Psychological Bulletin, 130(1), 80-114.

Atlan, H. (1972). Du bruit comme principe d’auto-organisation. Communications, 18, 21-36.

Atlan, H. (1974). On a formal definition of organization. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 45(2), 295-304.

Bauman, Z. (2001). The solitude of the global citizen (La solitudine del cittadino globale). Milano: Feltrinelli.

Bauman, Z. (2002). The individualized society (La società individualizzata). Bologna: Il Mulino.

Beck, U. (1999). What is globalization? (Che cos’è la globalizzazione. Rischi e prospettive della società planetaria). Roma: Carocci.

Boudon, R. (1985). The place of disorder (Il posto del disordine. Critica delle teorie del mutamento sociale). Bologna: Il Mulino.

Bussu, A., & Contini, R. M. (2021). Peer mentoring in higher education. Generating social ties and life skills (Peer mentoring universitario. Generare legami sociali e competenze trasversali). Milano: FranoAngeli.

Ceruti, M. (1985). The hybrys of omniscience and the challenge of complexity (La hybrys dell’onniscienza e la sfida della complessità). In G. Bocchi and M. Ceruti (Eds.), The challenge of complexity (La sfida della complessità) (pp. 1-24). Milano: Feltrinelli.

Ceruti, M. (2014). The end of omniscience (La fine dell’onniscenza). Roma: Studium.

Contini, R. M. (2006). Complexity and sociological analysis in Edgar Morin (Complessità e analisi sociologica in Edgar Morin). Chieti: Libreria Universitaria Editrice.

Contini, R. M. (2012). New generations in multiethnic society. A research in Abruzzo schools (Nuove generazioni nella società multietnica. Una ricerca nelle scuole d’Abruzzo). Milano: FrancoAngeli.

Contini, R. M. (2013). The paradigm of the complex dynamic systems and sociological analysis. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 92, 207-214.

Contini, R. M. (2017). Complexity and sociology. Sociology Study, 7(7), 376-387.

Contini, R. M. (2019). Globalization, social science and complexity (Globalizzazione, scienza sociologia e complessità). Ratio Sociologica - Journal of Social Sciences: Theory and Application, 12(1), 51-68.

Emery, F. E. (Ed.). (1969). System thinking: Selected readings. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books Ltd.

Giddens, A. (1994). Consequences of modernity (Le conseguenze della modernità. Fiducia e rischio, sicurezza e pericolo). Bologna: Il Mulino.

Jacob, F. (1970). La logique du vivant (The logic of life). Paris: Gallimard.

Koestler, A. (1967). The ghost in the machine. London: Macmillan.

Ladrière, J. (1973). Système. In Encyclopedia universalis (Vol. 15, p. 686). Paris.

Maturana, H., & Varela, F. (1972). Autopoietic systems. Santiago du Chili: Facultad de Ciencias, Universitad de Santiago.

Maturana, H., & Varela, F. (1980). Autopoiesis and cognition: The realization of the living. Dordrecht: Reidel.

Maturana, H., & Varela, F. (1985). The tree of knowledge. Boston: New Science Library.

Monod, J. (1970). Le hasard et la nécessité (Change and necessity). Paris: Le Seuil.

Morin, E. (1977). La méthode. I. La nature de la nature. Paris: Le Seuil.

Morin, E. (1984). Sociologie (Sociology). Paris: Fayard.

Morin, E. (1985). The routes of complexity (Le vie della complessità). In G. Bocchi and M. Ceruti (Eds.), The challenge of complexity (La sfida della complessità). Milano: Feltrinelli.

Morin, E. (2018). The challenge of complexity (La sfida della complessità). Firenze: Editoriale Le Lettere.

Morin, E. (2020a). Changing the way. The 15 lessons of the coronavirus (Cambimo strada. Le 15 lezioni del coronavirus). Milano: Raffaello Cortina.

Morin, E. (2020b). The well-made mind (La testa ben fatta). Milano: Raffaello Cortina.

Prigogine, I. (1985). The exploration of complexity (L’esplorazione della complessità). In G. Bocchi and M. Ceruti (Eds.), The challenge of complexity (La sfida della complessità) (pp. 179-193). Milano: Feltrinelli.

Prigogine, I., & Stengers, I. (1979). La nouvelle alliance (The new alliance). Paris: Gallimard.

Serres, M. (1974). Les sciences (Science). In J. Le Goff and P. Nora (Eds.), Faire de lhistoire: Nouvelles approches (Making history. New approaches) (pp. 203-228). Paris: Gallimard.

Stengers, I. (1985). Why there can be no complexity paradigm (Perchè non può esserci un paradigma della complessità). In G. Bocchi and M. Ceruti (Eds.), The challenge of complexity (La sfida della complessità). Milano: Feltrinelli.

Stephan, C. W., & Stephan, W. G. (2000). The measurement of racial and ethnic identity. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 24(5), 541-552.

Trist, E. (1970). Organisation et système: Quelques remarques théoriques se rapportant plus particulièrement aux recherches d’Andras Angyal. Revue française de sociologie, 11, 123-139.

von Bertalanffy, L. (1950). The theory of open systems in physics and biology. Science, 111(2872), 23-29.

von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General system theory. Essays on its foundation and development. New York: George Braziller.

von Foerster, H. (1960). On self-organizing systems and their environments. In Self-organizing systems (pp. 31-50). London: Pergamon Press.

von Foerster, H. (1984). Disorder/Order: Discovery or intervention? In P. Livingstone (Ed.), Disorder and order. Stanford: Anma Libri.

von Neumann, J. (1966). Theory of self-reproducing automata. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Wellman, B. (2001). Physical place and cyberspace: The rise of personalized networking. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 25(2), 227-252.

About | Terms & Conditions | Issue | Privacy | Contact us
Copyright © 2001 - 2025 David Publishing Company All rights reserved, www.davidpublisher.com
3 Germay Dr., Unit 4 #4651, Wilmington DE 19804; Tel: 001-302-3943358 Email: order@davidpublishing.com