Guiding Distinctions
Observed With Social Systems Theory: An Introduction
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7169296 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Steffen Roth (0000-0002-8502-601X, Excelia Business School La Rochelle France), Lars Clausen (0000-0002-4883-8748, UCL University College, Denmark And Kazimieras Simonavičius University Vilnius Lithuania, corresponding author), Krešimir Žažar (0000-0002-6133-8625, University of Zagreb, Croatia And Kazimieras Simonavičius University Vilnius Lithuania) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 447-454 |
| Publication date | 2025-03-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Systems Research and Behavioral Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1092-7026 • E-ISSN: 1099-1743 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sres.3152 |
| OpenAlex | W4408317714 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 28 |
This article serves as an introduction to the special issue Guiding Distinctions: Observed with Social Systems Theory , providing a conceptual framework for the contributions that follow. Drawing on Niklas Luhmann's theory, it examines the role of guiding distinctions in structuring social systems theory as well as discourses in the broader social sciences. Although distinctions such as economy/society, system/environment, structure/agency or interaction/society have shaped theoretical frameworks, their validity and utility remain subject to scrutiny. Drawing on the distinction between true and false distinctions, this article examines how social systems theory navigates fundamental conceptual tensions and applies its own principles to assess and refine its architecture. The article argues that false distinctions remain useful within analogue social theorising but become problematic when guiding programmes aimed at theorising digitally transforming societies. By situating the individual contributions of this special issue within this broader theoretical framework, the article highlights key tensions and opportunities for refining systems‐theoretical approaches to contemporary social transformations
Conceptual framework · Epistemology · Political science · Scrutiny · Social science · Social system · Social theory · Sociology · Structure and agency · Structuring · Systems theory · Complex Systems and Decision Making · Computer Science · Information Systems Theories and Implementation · Law · University-Industry-Government Innovation Models
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Beyond Barbarism
Autopoiesis and Cognition
The Paradoxy of Observing Systems
Digital transformation of social theory. A research update
The Regenerative Semantics and Structural Change
Theory and Methodology in Sociology–Guiding Distinction
Sociological Perspectives on AI, Intelligence and Communication
Reimagining Sociality in the Digital Age
Willing unwillingness. A Luhmannian perspective on followership and leadership in organizations
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N‐Factorial Scenarios
The end user takes the final decision
Value Plurality and Multifunctional Commensuration in Organisation
Transformative Services and Systemic Well‐Being—Towards a Better Understanding of Distinction in Service Design
Digital transformation and the renewal of social theory
Big Data, new epistemologies and paradigm shifts
Differentiation of Society
Guiding distinctions of social theory. Analogue guidelines or digital transformers? An introduction
Distinguishing next society
Primitive social theory
Is ethics a Utopia? Yes, when moral distinctions impair the ethical aim
Guiding distinctions of social theory
| Unique citing works | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 4 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 4 |