OPEN SYSTEMS AND MULTI-LEVEL PROCESSES: IMPLICATIONS FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH†

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Abstract
Much of contemporary social science methodology is predicted on the assumption of closed, morphostatic (structure maintaining) systems for which “general principles”, “ laws”, and “functional relationships”, are fixed. We argue that multi-variate, non-dynamic techniques as well as single-level, dynamic models and methods, although suitable for stable, basically closed or context insensitive systems, are inadequate, at best partial tools for the general scientific task of representation and explanation of social phenomena. Because human systems are typically open (adaptive, self-transforming systems as opposed to mechanical systems) with morphogenic or structure changing tendencies or potentialities, we stress the need to investigate structural change as well as maintenance and to develop multi-level models and methods appropriate for describing and analysing such phenomena.