Review article
Contemporary Approaches in the Methodology of Social Sciences: Chaos and Complexity Theory
Aleksandar Halmi
Abstract
The paper presents the most important models in chaos analysis and postmodernist views of strategy and change. Author confront chaos theory paradigm and postmodernism (Lyotard) and poststructuralism (Foucault). The basic aims of this paper is: 1. estabilish the differences betwen Chaos theory and postmodernism, 2. outline postmodernism as a philosophy that undermines notion of objectivity and neutrality ih social practice, 3. illustrate the implications of postmodernism for our understanding of strategies for change in terms of the deconstruction of texts, genealogy and the powerful truth-effects of narratives/discourses, 4. review the tensions that are created by the relativism inherent postmodernist and chaos/complex analysis. Discussed are basic elements of the predictive, statistic, iconic, structural, ideal-typical and historical approaches in analysing deterministic chaos. The description of each of these models is followed by the referential framework for further study which suggests a need to constitute a unified social chaos theory. The author points at the fact that outlines of such an integrative approach can be identified in Bhaskar,s theory of critical realism.
Keywords
chaos theory; postructuralism; postmodernism; social theory; dissipative systems
Hrčak ID:
302761
URI
Publication date:
30.12.2022.
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