Sociology and the New Systems Theory

Kenneth D. Bailey is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of Methods of Social Research and Social Entropy Theory, also published by SUNY Press.

After providing a review of classical theory, this book carefully sketches the chief contributions of living systems theory, social entropy theory, autopoiesis, and other approaches. It shows that these approaches are without the flaws of earlier functionalism, yet they retain the breadth and integrative potential needed by mainstream theorists concerned about the threat of hyperspecialization and fragmentation within sociology.

• List of TablesList of FiguresPreface1. Social Theory and Systems TheoryPlan of the Book2. Social Systems TheoryTypes of SystemsTypologyWhy Study Systems?Toward a Positive PositivismBlockingCriticismCounterpoint3. The Age of EquilibriumThe Appeal of EquilibriumSome Major Equilibrium TheoristsHomeostasisAdditional Equilibrium ModelsSumming UpCounterpoint4. The Age of EntropyGeneral Systems TheoryNonequilibrium ThermodynamicsCounterpoint5. Living Systems TheoryCommentaryCounterpoint6. Social Entropy TheoryThe ChallengesSummarizing SETImmutablesOrganizationThe Central Problem of Social OrderCommentaryCounterpoint7. Living Systems Theory and Social Entropy Theory: A CongruenceDivergenceTowards CongruenceTechnologyRemainder of Set Compared with LSTCounterpoint8. AutopoiesisAre Social Systems Autopoietic?Counterpoint9. The Dual SynthesisSystems TheoryMainstream Sociology TheoryConcluding Remarks ReferencesAuthor IndexSubject Index