@article{648,
title = {On the Entropy of Social Systems: A Revision of the Concepts of Entropy and Energy in the Social Context},
author = {Thomas Mavrofides and Achilles Kameas and Dimitris Papageorgiou and Antonios Los},
issn = {1099-1743},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-01-01},
journal = {Systems Research and Behavioral Science},
abstract = {
The main problem that systems theory tries to solve is the problem of complexity. The notion of complexity is very often correlated to variables such as entropy and energy,organization and disorganization and others that eventually converge to the common ground of comprehensibility or incomprehensibility. In this paper, we try to shed light on the notions of entropy and energy as they should be conceived in the theoretical framework of social sciences. We analyse the different meanings of entropy, dealing with the social systems as if they were information management systems (following Niklas Luhmann), and we also present an initial approach, as to the meaning of energy for those systems, bringing Pierre Bourdieutextquoterights theory of symbolic capital into a Luhmannian context.
<div style="text-align: justify;">The main problem that systems theory tries to solve is the problem of complexity. The <span style="line-height: 1.538em;">notion of complexity is very often correlated to variables such as entropy and energy,</span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">organization and disorganization and others that eventually converge to the common </span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">ground of comprehensibility or incomprehensibility. In this paper, we try to shed light on </span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">the notions of entropy and energy as they should be conceived in the theoretical </span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">framework of social sciences. We analyse the different meanings of entropy, dealing with </span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">the social systems as if they were information management systems (following Niklas </span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">Luhmann), and we also present an initial approach, as to the meaning of energy for those </span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">systems, bringing Pierre Bourdieutextquoterights theory of symbolic capital into a Luhmannian </span><span style="line-height: 1.538em;">context.</span></div>
