After Progress and Before: What Progress Could Be when Crises are Permanent

The paper is dedicated to the analysis of the communicative law function, which is the basis of the modern interaction between social state and civil society in the era of the digital law formation. In the context of modern digital society and state, we need to take into account the specificity of understanding and classification of the law functions. Communication is one of the most important characteristics of modern digital state and law. In this regard, the paper considers the communicative law function both socially and legally. Socially, the communicative function is considered as an informational one. In this regard, it is essential for the legal culture, legal education and legal consciousness. Communicative function as a social one involves understanding of the interaction between society and law from a position of the linguistic para digm. With this concept, the legal system is seen as a system of communication between subjects based on the autonomy of the individual. In the modern digital state communication as a social function of law is a basis of legitimization of legal acts. The legal consciousness is an important condition for law recognition. Along with the social function, communication plays an important role as a legal one. In this aspect, communicative action is connected to the regulatory and the protective functions of law. Communication plays a key role in the modern legal regulation due to the extension of its subject. The functioning of law in modernity has its own specifics with regard to the process of society juridification under conditions of law modernization and fulfilment of the state social function. The juridification consists in the fact that legal norms replace other social rules. Regulation of the majority of social relations through legal functions leads to the need to take into account communicative connections in society. Legal functions of law in the modern society should use the principle of deliberation in law to achieve their goals. Communication in its functional aspect is deemed a necessary foundation of an effective legal regulation and legal policy.

This article explores interactions on professional social media like Slack and Teams and their consequences of use in educational and professional settings and further how they shape designers’ understanding of the concept of knowledge and in extension democratic processes. The main object of this study is how communication functions, rather than its content. We emphasize how such communication functioning informs service design practices. To investigate these mechanisms, we use theories from communication in sports, play, and games, as well as conversation- and systems theory. The effects of the conversations on professional media are discussed in relation to knowing and democratic mechanisms and change. Finally, we suggest aspects to consider when planning, facilitating, and analyzing communication in design processes in relation to democracy.

The purpose of the article is to outline the processes of transformation of the main functions of a modern library in meeting the constantly growing information needs of users and strengthening the role of libraries in the context of the digitalization of society. The methodology is based on a set of general scientific methods (analysis, synthesis, abstraction, generalization) and approaches (systemic, socio-communicative, and innovative), as well as the comparison and relationship of theory and practice. The scientific novelty of this work is to expand ideas about the role and functions of libraries and their impact on the development of modern society in the context of digitalization. Conclusions. Expanding its functions, the library is increasingly introducing new means of accessing, creating, and processing information, using digital technologies and modern means of communication. The analysis of library functions allowed us to determine the essential (basic) functions of a modern library in the conditions of transformational changes. Among them: information, communication. Scientific libraries are characterized by the expansion (transformation) of the traditional information function into information-analytical. Such derivative functions as educational, training, leisure, etc. acquire a certain strengthening in the activity of public libraries. Information and communication functions are also being strengthened, regardless of the type of library. Thus, today the activities of libraries are enriched by the content of information, communication, cultural, educational, leisure, and other functions, which promotes interaction with the environment, the establishment of democratic and humanistic principles of development, ensuring free access to information. Keywords: transformation, functions of libraries, information needs of users, digitalization, civil society.

System Society And Religion Niklas Luhmann’s Sociological TheoryrnSociological theory is a crucial scientific necessity for the disciplines of sociology and the sociology of religion. In this context, various theories have been developed in both classical and contemporary sociology to explain society and religion. Among the most prominent sociologists of recent times, Niklas Luhmann stands out for developing one of the most comprehensive and systematic theories in sociology through his general systems theory. Drawing on multiple disciplines, Luhmann constructed a radical “super theory” that challenges traditional sociological approaches, aiming to explain society and social phenomena. Luhmann conceptualized the global society as a system and sought to analyze all social phenomena associated with this world society. He produced a universal theory applicable to all societies by developing conceptual abstractions and cognitive frameworks. According to Luhmann, modern society possesses a highly complex structure, and this hyper-complex society can only be explained through an equally complex theory. In this framework, modern society consists of functional subsystems forming the social system branches. Luhmann analyzed various social phenomena—such as education, economy, science, art, health, and law—within the context of these functional subsystems. Religion, by specializing in a specific function and gaining autonomy, has found its place in modern society. Luhmann examined the phenomenon of religion within the framework of systems theory and evaluated it from a systemic perspective. However, it can be argued that Luhmann has not yet received the recognition he deserves in academic circles. While the significance of his general systems theory has been acknowledged in some countries and various studies have been conducted for this purpose, the existing body of work is still not considered satisfactory. Similarly, the general systems theory remains relatively unknown in Turkey, which is seen as a shortcoming for Turkish sociology and the sociology of religion. This study aims to contribute to addressing this gap in Turkish sociology and sociology of religion literature.rnKeywords: Sociology of Religion; Niklas Luhman; General Systems Theory; Social Systems Theory; Theory of Religio;, Sociological Theory.

One major strand of contemporary research on political participation addresses online deliberation. Over time, online deliberation has become increasingly pluralistic. Our study applies a framework derived from systemic deliberative theory to evaluate different online deliberation processes on German immigration policy. A crucial premise of the systemic deliberative theory is that the quality of deliberation varies systematically between different arenas within a political system. We differentiate between highly formal, semi‐formal, and informal deliberative arenas (arenas 1–3) and develop seven theory‐driven hypotheses concerning the quality of deliberative procedures in arenas 1–3 that we test through quantitative content analysis. Our study confirms the overarching expectation: processes’ deliberative quality varies systematically between arenas. The highest level of (aggregated) deliberative quality is displayed in arena 1—deliberations, that is, on the government‐run consultation platform. The more fine‐grained analysis of different dimensions of deliberative quality reveals that the patterns observed with regards to certain dimensions of deliberative quality (e.g., constructiveness and reciprocity) do not conform with our theory‐driven hypotheses. We discuss the theoretical and empirical implications of these findings. Future collaborations of theoretical and empirical scholars of deliberative democracy must address the specifics of online communication and the function of emotional communication in different deliberative arenas.

Observing, describing, and analyzing journalism as part of society requires theories on a macro level. Unlike normative theories, which criticize journalism with respect to its achievements and failures within society, systems theory operates with the concept of function in a non-normative sense. Based on the groundwork of Talcott Parsons’ theory of social systems, Niklas Luhmann developed systems theory further and radicalized it by strictly avoiding any kind of structural conservatism. His approach is built on the assumption that social systems operate autonomously on the basis of the functional differentiation to their environment. Macro-level systems, i.e., societal systems, fulfill unique functions for and within society. Functional autonomy and singularity make a modern society highly efficient but force each system to rely on the functional performances of all other societal systems. Hence, societal systems are structurally coupled and interdependent. Epistemologically, systems do not exist as ontological units but are strictly observer-related, be the observer the system itself or an external observer, such as the scientific community is. In journalism research, Luhmann’s systems theory has been applied to journalism as a societal system. Several competing approaches with different perspectives on the system observed (journalism, the mass media, or the public sphere) have been developed with respect to identifying the basic characteristics on which the system operates. Despite their differences they have this in common: journalism is not considered the sum of individual journalists and their (individual) way of working, instead, the systems-theoretical perspective is holistic. However, compared to theories of professionalism, which is also a holistic concept, systems theory neither identifies journalism with the profession of journalism, nor commits it to professional journalism. Instead, the structure of journalism is flexible, i.e., functionally equivalent, as long as its function is fulfilled. This function can be specified: journalism provides society periodically with current, independent, factual, and relevant information. Empirically, systems theory helps defining the population of journalists by deducing it from its function. Unlike mere empirical approaches, which arbitrarily draw samples from an unknown population, it is possible to clearly draw distinctions between journalism and other forms of public communication, such as public relations, advertising, propaganda, or lay communication. Still, it is challenging to operationalize such an abstract theory, as it is not specially made for hypothesis-driven research.

This systems theory study examines how digital communication's spatio‐temporally stable user profiles threaten functional differentiation in modern society. Unlike fleeting face‐to‐face interactions, social media profiles establish permanent social presence, undermining protective mechanisms against moralizing communication and privileging moral discourse. Empirical clues include shitstorms, cancel culture and social regulatory tendencies like China's social credit system and coronavirus pandemic responses. Personal moral integrity and group affiliation increasingly supersede factual competence. In order to grasp the influence of corruption on society as a whole, it is necessary to develop a universally applicable concept of corruption: Corruption is conceptualized as an operational coupling between functionally differentiated spheres. In this way, it can be shown how symbolically generalized communication media (e.g., money, power, love, faith) can combinatorially produce corrupt effects. The central thesis is that digital communication enables a renaissance of moral interaction dominance, thereby corrupting functional differentiation. The study predicts that society will shift towards more organization‐oriented structures characterized by reduced complexity and offers an innovative systems theory perspective on corruption as a communicative phenomenon that transcends individual misconduct.

This article argues that the systems theory of Niklas Luhmann prepares the ground for a genuinely sociological theory of human rights. Through a presentation of Luhmann’s work on human rights, it describes the historical and sociological processes that make visible why human rights emerge as a central feature of modern society. It is argued that the emergence of fundamental freedoms and human rights can be related to the dominant structure of modern society, that is, functional differentiation. Human rights are considered as a social institution, whereby modern society protects its own structure against self‐destructive tendencies. By giving inalienable and equal rights to all human beings, society ensures that the differentiation between different functional subsystems is maintained and at the same time institutionalizes specific mechanisms to increase stability and protection of the individual. The article first examines some features of the systems‐theoretical framework that are used to describe and analyse the issue of human rights. Next, it presents a brief overview of the semantic evolution of human rights. This reconstruction focuses on the question how the modern semantics of human rights can be linked to a specific structural societal transformation. The second part of the essay is devoted to the social function of human rights. After focusing on the general function, it makes a distinction between ‘fundamental freedoms’ on the one hand, and the ‘rights of equality’ on the other.

An increasing number of publications in recent years show that the system theory of Niklas Luhmann is not an unknown topic in music theory any more, although as yet there has been no attempt at a comprehensive discussion of its potential to tackle music-theoretical questions. In musicology, on the contrary, the discussion of Luhmann’s theory seems to have peaked already. System theory here is either praised as the most promising method for future research or entirely rejected as a method inadequate for music. This essay provides an overview on applications of Luhmann’s system theory in music theory. Generally, there are two ways to interpret music in the context of social systems that can either focus on communication about music or regard music itself as a subsystem of modern society. Music also can be unterstood as a system that intertwines with the listener’s psyche. These considerations enable a discussion of the connections between system theory and music theory in general. It becomes clear that Luhmann’s concept of “self-reference” can enrich music research. It might enhance, for example, a reflection of methodologies in music theory and thus contribute to a differentiation of different music-theoretical (sub-)systems: between music theory as an artistic or a scholarly system, between music theory and musicology or between music as a psychological, social or multiply organized autopoetic system. Such a differentiation in turn might be a first step towards observing and interpreting problems of research or teaching. System theory provides a research tool that offers possibilities to isolate methodological problems in new and illuminating ways.

The article presents a comprehensive analytical review of scholarly research devoted to the phenomenon of arts journalism in the 21st century. The problem statement lies in the growing role of cultural and communicative processes in modern society and the transformation of the functions of cultural journalism under the influence of digital technologies. In the age of multimedia and interactivity, arts journalism is no longer limited to evaluating artistic works but increasingly acts as a key factor in shaping public discourse, aesthetic orientations, and cultural identity. The analysis of recent studies and publications demonstrates that in Ukrainian academia, the issues of cultural and arts journalism have been examined by O. Ivanova, L. Marjina, A. Pylypenko, K. Pyrohova, and O. Harmatii, who analyze genre specificity, communicative functions, and trends in media culture. Among foreign researchers, significant contributions have been made by G. Harries, K. Wahl-Jørgensen, M. Jaakkola, H. Hellman, and E. Alessandri, who explore the changing role of the critic, the digitalization of cultural journalism, and its interaction with audiences. The purpose of the article is to systematize contemporary scholarly approaches to the study of arts journalism, to define its terminological boundaries, and to analyze the key trends of its development in the 21st century. In the main body, the conceptual and categorical framework of the study is clarified, and the terms cultural journalism, arts journalism, art criticism, and media culture are differentiated. Four main research directions are identified: the transformation of the critic’s role in the digital era, changes in the genre structure of arts journalism, the economic dimensions of cultural media, and the interaction between journalists and audiences. It is observed that both Ukrainian and international studies examine arts journalism in relation to literature, theatre, music, and visual culture. The author systematizes scholars’ views on the impact of digitalization, the growth of blog-based formats, multimedia storytelling, and the increasing participation of users in the creation of cultural content. The conclusions emphasize that contemporary arts journalism performs not only analytical and critical functions but also serves as an important element of cultural policy and the communicative ecosystem. Its study requires an interdisciplinary approach that integrates journalism, cultural studies, social communications, and media research. Further investigations should focus on the development of digital art-communication formats, the interaction between journalists, artists, and audiences, as well as the formation of new ethical and professional standards within the sphere of cultural media

To develop a sociology of the international, it is common in international relations (IR) to use a notion of inter-subjectivity defined as the space “in-between” individual actors. This approach is based on a parts/whole systems theory where common norms and values inscribed in international law not only create a “world society” but also provide for its social cohesion. Rooted in a parts/whole distinction, the very term of inter-subjectivity takes on a rather positivist meaning as the social quality of the international is then “measurable” and possibly even falsifiable by observing states’ behavior. In the end, the inter-subjective quality of rules and norms is then ultimately reduced to the individual level. This article proposes a different avenue that breaks with the parts/whole distinction to emphasize the connectivity of communications. From this perspective, the notion of inter-subjectivity appears to be part of the problem rather than part of the solution and is thus replaced by the distinction between system and environment. The changing contours of international law are then decoupled from states’ interests to emphasize the “relative autonomy” of the legal discourse as represented in its shifting paradox and programs.

The idea our global polity is chiefly divided by territorially organized nation-states captures contemporary constellations of power and authority only insufficiently. Through a decoupling of power and the state, political spaces no longer match geographical spaces. Instead of simply acknowledging a challenge to the state, there is the need to rethink the changing meaning of space for political processes. The paper identifies three aspects, a reconceptualization of the spatial assumptions that IR needs to address: the production of space, the constitutive role of boundaries, and the problem of order. With this contribution, we argue that one avenue in understanding the production of space and the following questions of order is by converging systems theory and critical geopolitics. While the latter has already developed a conceptual apparatus to analyze the production of space, the former comes with an encompassing theoretical background, which takes “world society” as the starting point of analysis. In this respect, nation states are understood as a form of internal differentiation of a wider system, namely world society.

The article is based on the idea that the problem of unity or integration of modern society has not yet been solved in sociological theory. The paper attempts a new solution based on a creative synthesis of elements from Talcott Parsons' functionalism, rational choice theory, and Niklas Luhmann's new systems theory. The core idea is that the state and the political sphere work together as an integrating centre of modern societies. Present approaches understand the political allocation of resources either as an exchange process or as solidarity caused by internalized social norms. None of them embodies a concept of collective rationality: therefore they cannot give a dynamic account of the public allocation of collective goods. This dichotomy of individual rationality and norm-guided behaviour will be produced and reproduced on the level of general theory in the discussion on the problem of order or collective action as long as sociology is founded on the assumption that society is made up of individual human beings and their actions. However, by replacing action with Luhmann's concept of communication and rethinking collective action within this new framework, it becomes possible to develop a concept of collective rationality. This new conceptualization is used to clear up problems and overcome shortcomings in Luhmann's own theory of modern society as functionally differentiated. Observed as a consequence of action, function is collective action. A solution to the problem of collective action or social order is found with the emergence of rational solidarity as a medium that symbolizes the difference between individual and collective rationality as a unity: one should sacrifice individual opportunities to achieve collective goals and solve problems for the society to which one belongs.

1. Health Care Systems Theory and Polycontexturality: An Introduction Morten Knudsen and Werner Vogd Part 1: Polycontextural Constructions 2. Drugs in Modern Society: Analysing Polycontextural Things under Condition of Functional Differentiation Anna Henkel 3. Polycontexturality and the Body Holger Hojlund and Anders la Cour Part 2: Societal Arrangements 4. Two Ways of Dealing with Polycontexturality in Priority Setting in Swedish Healthcare Politics Werner Schirmer and Dimitris Michailakis 5. Heterophony and Hyper-Responsibility Niels Akerstrom Andersen and Hanne Knudsen Part 3: Organizational Arrangements 6. Arranging Medical and Economical Logics: Investigating the Influence of Economic Controlling in Internal Medicine Department Werner Vogd 7. Hospital Management in Between Medical Professionalism and Management Till Jansen and Sarah Poranzke 8. Sustainability in Integrated Care Partnerships: A Systems and Network Theoretical Approach for the Analysis of Co-Operation Networks Daniel Ludecke Part 4: Reflections 9. The Multiplication and Realization of Speakers as Polyphony Armin Nassehi, Irmhild Saake and Katharina Mayr 10. The Polycontextural Realities of Research Ethics in Medicine Barry Gibson and Jennifer Burr 11. Personal Leadership in Polyphonic Organizations Morten Knudsen

「腳尾飯事件」發生於2005年6月，因傳出腳尾飯流出市面，經媒體報導，造成公館商圈居民一陣驚慌，部分民眾不敢外出飲食，後來發現當時當作證據的「錄影帶」係偽造。我研究的目的，就是希望瞭解在此事件過後，閱聽人對媒體的「信任」關係為何。 「信任理論」近年為社會學界、管理學界所重視。我援引Simmel、Luhmann及Sztompka等學者對信任的探討，指出信任並非於自然生成於社會關係之中，而不需加以討論，而制度信任如媒體更是現代社會轉型的重要特徵。過去傳播研究如媒介依賴理論也有觸及信任的議題，但似乎不夠深入，而成果豐碩的「可信度研究」，雖然近來也開始注重以多層次、多因素的方式研究信任，但囿於研究方式，對個人情境脈絡的處理仍可能失之片段。總結過去信任研究，我認為「現象學研究法」的質性研究或許是可以嘗試的另外一條途徑。 我訪談了十二位公館商圈的居民。訪談結果表示，他們對於媒體信任採取一種「曖昧」的態度：不是完全信任，也不是完全不信任，而是疑慮，原因可能是對於制度的缺陷有或多或少的認識，這也符合了Luhmann等對媒體信任的觀點。我並發現，即使後來發現「腳尾飯事件」是假的，他們仍覺得「寧可信其有，不可信其無」，因為他們認為媒體報的新聞應該就是真的，另外，媒體不間斷的報導以及對周遭人際間的不熟悉，也可能導致對媒體新聞內容的信任。 但畢竟仍有許多受訪者表示不信任媒體。其原因包括了媒體內容過於誇大、或者覺得媒體沒有善盡查證的職責，人際間的信任也是他們選擇不相信媒體報導的原因。他們並且提到收視率是媒體之所以不能相信的原因，但並沒有對此有更進一步的討論。 我並試圖分析信任功能失調後對閱聽人可以造成的困擾，整理出三種面向：焦慮感、無奈感與疏離感。焦慮感是指一方面因媒體報導而對社會其他人抱持高度警戒，一方面又必需花更多力氣去檢驗媒體的新聞。無奈感則是認為媒體現狀是無法改變的，並轉而期待威權由上而下地快速改革現狀。疏離感則是閱聽人選擇尋找其他替代媒體，或拒看，並以第三人效果的角度來看，認為自己不會受到媒體負面新聞影響（但卻又弔詭地表示會影響他的行為）也是疏離感的展現。 最後我認為媒體這種制度信任，與其他制度信任如政治、金融信任並不完全相同，它是一種中介的信任（或許角色上逐漸變質），需要賦予更大的信任。雖然由於資訊不見得與生活密切，似乎不相信也無所謂，只需降低對媒體的期待就可以了，但是從訪談結果我們還是能看出對於媒體不能信任的那種徬徨焦慮的心態。