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| In [[sociology]], '''social complexity''' is a [[conceptual framework]] used in the [[analysis]] of society. Contemporary definitions of [[complexity]] in the [[science]]s are found in relation to [[systems theory]], in which a [[phenomenon]] under study has many parts and many possible arrangements of the relationships between those parts. At the same time, what is complex and what is simple is relative and may change with time.<ref>Waldrop, M. Mitchell (1992.) ''Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos.'' New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.</ref> | | In [[sociology]], '''social complexity''' is a [[conceptual framework]] used in the [[analysis]] of society. Contemporary definitions of [[complexity]] in the [[science]]s are found in relation to [[systems theory]], in which a [[phenomenon]] under study has many parts and many possible arrangements of the relationships between those parts. At the same time, what is complex and what is simple is relative and may change with time.<ref>Waldrop, M. Mitchell (1992.) ''Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos.'' New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.</ref> |
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− | Current usage of the term "complexity" in the field of sociology typically refers specifically to theories of society as a [[complex adaptive system]]. However, social complexity and its [[emergence|emergent]] properties are central recurring themes throughout the historical development of [[Social philosophy|social thought]] and the study of [[social change]].<ref name="CCS-MMT">Eve, Raymond, Sara Horsfall and Mary E. Lee (eds.) (1997). ''Chaos, Complexity and Sociology: Myths, Models, and Theories.'' Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.</ref> The [[History of sociology|early founders]] of [[sociological theory]], such as [[Ferdinand Tönnies]], [[Émile Durkheim]], [[Max Weber]], [[Vilfredo Pareto]], and [[Georg Simmel]], all examined the exponential growth and increasing interrelatedness of social encounters and [[Social exchange theory|exchanges]]. This emphasis on [[interconnectivity]] in social relationships and the emergence of new properties within society is found in [[Social theory|theoretical thinking]] in multiple [[Subfields of sociology|areas of sociology]].<ref name="AGid-79">Giddens, Anthony (1979). ''Central problems in Social Theory: Action, Structure and Contradiction in Social Analysis.'' London: Macmillan.</ref> As a theoretical tool, social complexity theory serves as a basis for the connection of [[Microsociology|micro-]] and [[Macrosociology|macro]]-level social phenomena, providing a [[wikt:meso-|meso-]]level or [[Middle range theory (sociology)|middle-range]] theoretical platform for [[hypothesis]] formation.<ref>Freese, Lee (1980). "Formal Theorizing." ''Annual Review of Sociology'', 6: 187–212 (August 1980).</ref><ref>Cohen, B. P. (1989). ''Developing sociological knowledge: theory and method'' (2nd ed.). Chicago: Nelson–Hall.</ref> [[Research methods#Research methods|Methodologically]], the concept of social complexity is theory-neutral, meaning that it accommodates both local ([[Microsociology|micro]]) and global ([[Macrosociology|macro]]) phenomena in sociological research.<ref name="CCS-MMT" /> | + | 在社会学中,社会复杂性是用于分析社会的概念性框架工具,科学中关于复杂性的当代定义与系统理论息息相关,而其研究的现象中包含了众多部分,这些部分之间又存在许多可能性的联系。同时,复杂和简单是相对存在的,并会随着时间而改变的。 |
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| + | Current usage of the term "complexity" in the field of sociology typically refers specifically to theories of society as a [[complex adaptive system]]. However, social complexity and its [[emergence|emergent]] properties are central recurring themes throughout the historical development of [[Social philosophy|social thought]] and the study of [[social change]].<ref name="CCS-MMT">Eve, Raymond, Sara Horsfall and Mary E. Lee (eds.) (1997). ''Chaos, Complexity and Sociology: Myths, Models, and Theories.'' Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.</ref> The [[History of sociology|early founders]] of [[sociological theory]], such as [[Ferdinand Tönnies]], [[Émile Durkheim]], [[Max Weber]], [[Vilfredo Pareto]], and [[Georg Simmel]], all examined the exponential growth and increasing interrelatedness of social encounters and [[Social exchange theory|exchanges]]. This emphasis on [[interconnectivity]] in social relationships and the emergence of new properties within society is found in [[Social theory|theoretical thinking]] in multiple [[Subfields of sociology|areas of sociology]].<ref name="AGid-79">Giddens, Anthony (1979). ''Central problems in Social Theory: Action, Structure and Contradiction in Social Analysis.'' London: Macmillan.</ref> As a theoretical tool, social complexity theory serves as a basis for the connection of [[Microsociology|micro-]] and [[Macrosociology|macro]]-level social phenomena, providing a [[wikt:meso-|meso-]]level or [[Middle range theory (sociology)|middle-range]] theoretical platform for [[hypothesis]] formation.<ref>Freese, Lee (1980). "Formal Theorizing." ''Annual Review of Sociology'', 6: 187–212 (August 1980).</ref><ref>Cohen, B. P. (1989). ''Developing sociological knowledge: theory and method'' (2nd ed.). Chicago: Nelson–Hall.</ref> [[Research methods#Research methods|Methodologically]], the concept of social complexity is theory-neutral, meaning that it accommodates both local |
| + | ([[Microsociology|micro]]) and global ([[Macrosociology|macro]]) phenomena in sociological research.<ref name="CCS-MMT" /> |
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| + | 在社会学领域中,“复杂性”术语的当前用法,通常是将社会理论称作复杂适应性系统。然而,贯穿社会思想的整个历史发展进程和社会变迁的研究发现,主要反复出现的却是社会复杂性及其表现的特征。社会学理论的早期奠基者,例如费迪南德·托尼斯(FerdinandTönnies),埃米尔·杜尔克海姆(ÉmileDurkheim),马克斯·韦伯(Max Weber),维尔弗雷多·帕累托(Vilfredo Pareto)和乔治·西梅尔(Georg Simmel),都验证过社会交往交换程度呈指数增长,且其相互关联性持续上升这一现象。社会关系中的互联性和社会内部涌现的全新属性,在社会学多个领域的理论思考中都受到了重视。社会复杂性作为一种理论工具,是微观和宏观社会现象之间联系的基础,为后期的假设形成提供了中观或中程(又称中层)的理论平台。从方法上讲,社会复杂性这一特征是无关乎于理论的,这意味着无论是地方性(局部)或全球性(全局)社会学研究都将适用。 |
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| ==Theoretical background== | | ==Theoretical background== |