Complexity reduction

From Geography

The concept of complexity reduction implies that there is first complexity. This complexity should be understood in the form of communications. There are numerous communications in the world, and it is impossible to ‘’hear’’ all. For example, newspapers have to select which items to present. Luhmann divides society into various systems and subsystems. Each subsystem has its own focus and thus selects only certain types of communications. Within the economic system, only economic communications are absorbed and produced, the same counts for the political system where only political communications are dealt with. Each system thus creates a boundary between itself and the environment. Internal, the systems are thus areas where complexity is reduced by using a selective mechanism. Complexity thus functions as a protective mechanism.

‘’Complexity enforces selectivity, which in turn leads to a reduction of complexity via the formation of systems that are less complex than their environment’’

(Luhmann 1995, p. Xvii foreword).

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References:

Luhmann, N. (1995). Social Systems. Stanford University Press

Published by: Sabrina Willems & Anouk Soomers