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Autopoiesis and Structuration Theory: A Framework to Investigate the Contribution of a Development Project to a Rural Community
Author(s) -
Turpin Marita
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
systems research and behavioral science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.371
H-Index - 45
eISSN - 1099-1743
pISSN - 1092-7026
DOI - 10.1002/sres.2403
Subject(s) - autopoiesis , structuration theory , sociology , systems theory , social system , epistemology , sustainability , social theory , critical theory , social science , computer science , ecology , philosophy , artificial intelligence , biology
The social application of autopoiesis remains a topic of interest and debate. In the 40 years since the theory of autopoiesis was published, Luhmann's work dominated its social application. Other suggestions of combining autopoiesis with social theory, such as Giddens' structuration theory, have gone largely unnoticed. In the present study, structuration theory is combined with autopoiesis concepts in a framework with which to assess the well‐being and sustainability of social systems in a developing country. In particular, the framework is applied to evaluate the contribution of a development project to the community affected by it. The study demonstrates the practical applicability of a structuration‐based conceptualisation of autopoiesis. In addition, it presents a novel way of looking at developmental impact, namely in terms of a project's influence on the self‐producing ability of the community served. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.