SOCIAL ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE: A CONTRIBUTION TO THE THEORY OF SOCIAL SYSTEMS

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Abstract
This paper shows how recent work on action theory helps to provide a stronger foundation for social system theory. The paper first provides a critical overview of sociological frameworks for developing social systems theory, including one formal theory. Then the notion of a “scheme of activity,” appearing in the conceptual framework of that theory, is analyzed from the standpoint of action theory. In particular, recent work using hierarchical production systems is employed to show that a scheme of activity is a formal language of interaction. On this foundation, the logical construction of social structure concepts is shown, using graphs, and a concluding discussion emphasizes the need for further research on institutional systems.

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