Lecture Notes on Systems Theory Part 5

V. Social Systems and their Environments, Codes and Operations Niklas Luhmann likened social systems to cybernetic- information processing systems that follows a binary coding (just like, for instance, computer languages that follows binary code of 0 and 1). Each social system, or social institutions, has a particular code that it uses to observe its environment, and to act on it (operation). Environment (human beings) according to Luhmanns systems theory does not condition or influence these social systems/institutions in the same way that our natural environment affects our everyday life. Systems continuously produce and reproduce the events that it acts upon (autopoiesis). The environment can only provide irritation that would trigger the systems to act. The process is quite paradoxical again because social systems give output that the environment receives only for the system to act and operate again upon the given output. (Magbibigay ako ng listahan ng examples para hindi nakakalito.) In this sense, the system is both independent (can operate autonomously by itself) and dependent (relies on the existence of its environment to distinguish itself as a distinct system). Social institutions can be seen as systems of distinction. It distinguishes the things it sees in the environment according to its code and acts on it according to the specific operation it performs. Here is a list of social systems/institutions, codes, functions and media. Religion (system) Lay followers (environment) Medium Faith (belief in faith) Code Transcendence/Immanence (transcendence is being beyond the limitations of the world; immanence is what is limited within the world) ultimate questions in life deserve transcendent answers that religion provides Function elimination of contingency: provides overall framework where one can see ones place in the universal order of things and the idea that there IS a definite order and a higher purpose that guides our lives. Sa ganitong context, kahit ang mga bagay na hindi natin usually tinitignang religious ay nagiging religion tulad halimbawa ng art (music is my religion), lovelife (ikaw ang nagbigay kahulugan sa buhay ko) o political ideology (Marxism as secular religion, as some would say). Operation spiritual services; formation of moral conscience; interpets holy scriptures Family (system) Members/relatives (environment) Medium Love (love for loves sake; loving the idea of falling in love; unconditional love) Code (these are just my derivations) personal/impersonal; relative/stranger Engels C. Del Rosario Page 1

Operation and Function regulate sexual behavior; establish kinships Politics (system) Politicians and Citizens (environment) Medium Power (the use of power to gain and control power) Code government/opposition Operation and Function to produce collectively binding decisions (hindi ibig sabihin nito ay pagbubuo ng consensus; ang bawat decision kasi na ginagawa ng mga government o state officials ay decisions on our behalf; legally bound tayo na sundin ang mga policies na ipinatupad ng mga iniluklok natin sa pwesto kaya collectively binding) Economy (system) (environment) Producers and Consumers, Buyers and Sellers

Medium Money (money can buy money; money can buy things that can be sold again in exchange for money) Code payment/non-payment (dito pumapasok yung binanggit ko dating system of payments; ibig sabihin sa modernong ekonomiya ang mga economic transaction ay hinuhusgahan batay sa kung mae-enable ba tayo nitong magkaron o ma-enhance ang payment capacity natin) Operation and Function regulates production and exchange in the market Mass Media (system) Public/Audience (environment) Medium New-s (news based on previous news; reports on previous reports) Code Information/Non-information (sabi ni Luhmann information is a difference that makes a difference ibig sabihin nagiging information lamang ang isang bagay kung ito ay iba sa ibang information na alam na natin; kaya naman sa media mahalaga parati na fresh at exclusive ang mga information) Operation and Function observes observations in the sense of reporting how institutions, for instance the economy, observes market trends; providing entertainment and serves as vehicles of advertisement (advertisement mula sa public agencies tulad ng announcement ng water interruption o announcement ng libreng medical services, o mula sa private sectorcommercials) Iba pang Institutions/Social systems Education (system) Academes/students (environment) Medium Learning (learning how to learn properly and productively) Engels C. Del Rosario Page 2

Code Competent/Incompetent (competent in terms of knowledge and skills that are taught by teachers and learned by students) Operation and Function prepares the environment (human beings) for their functions in the institutions Science (system) Scientists/Researcher (environment) Medium Truth (establishing new truths that dispel old truths) Code True/False (qualifying the truth value and falsehood of claims) Operation and Function provison of theories and research methods that other fields can use and apply; theorizing about theories; re-searching about research findings

Engels C. Del Rosario

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