Autopoietic system theory and functionally differentiated society

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530597
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: SATO Toshiki 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 教授 (10221285)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 自己産出系 / 機能的分化 / 視覚的表現

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Visualization of theoretical concepts and explanation with visual expression have been always underestimated in sociology, partly because of its tradition and origin in humanities and partly because of the lack of systematic and accumulative works for open use.
In this research project, we reconsidered terminology of autopoietic system theory, reconstructed its new theoretical and logical model, and invented some original visual expressions, which cover not only autopoietic system but also social mechanism found in sociology, especially in the birth of modern sociology and its predecessor called “moral statistics”. Those tools are very useful for sociological observation, education, and recursive reflection of popular participants living in functionally differentiated societies.

Free Research Field

社会学