Sociology and The Complexity of What Is Missing
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7092968 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Konstantinos Poulis (0000-0002-3355-9543, Middlesex University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 77 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 332-344 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-24 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-1315 • E-ISSN: 1468-4446 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/1468-4446.70077 |
| PMID | 41579358 |
| OpenAlex | W7125609147 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 78 |
What is ‘missed’ by sociological literature underpinned by assumptions of presence that a missing approach can rectify? I appropriate a metaphysics of presence and an alternative focus on what is missing as ontological foci to revisit complexity studies in sociology. I review key themes therein and show that, by predominantly adopting a being‐laden set of metaphysical assumptions, the complexity discourse overlooks subtler and more nuanced aspects of elucidating social settings. By attuning ourselves to what is missing, I make a case for what the possible consequences of this overlooking might be while showing the theorizing inadequacies of complexity thinking, which rests squarely on tangibility and observability of Aristotelian entities
Focus (optics · Key (lock · Metaphysics · Observability · Set (abstract data type · Social complexity · Social ontology · Chaos, Complexity, and Education · Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice · Critical Realism in Sociology
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| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |