Surprised by Method—Functional Method and Systems Theory

Authors

  • Morten Knudsen Copenhagen Business School

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-11.3.1556

Keywords:

functional method, functional analysis, Luhmann, systems theory, second order observation, empirical studies

Abstract

The paper is a contribution to the discussions on how to combine systems theory and empirical research. The paper focuses on functional method, which on the one hand is claimed as the method of systems theory but on the other hand is often only mentioned in passing—in Niklas LUHMANN's later works as well as in recent discussions on systems theory. The contention of the paper is that functional method can still be an important driving force in the development of interesting empirical problematics and analyses. The first and major part of the paper is a reconstruction of main characteristics of functional method. It is demonstrated how the method generates observations and the question is raised about which problem(s) the method is a solution to. The second part discusses functional method in relation to Niklas LUHMANN's later theoretical developments, especially the theory of second order observation. The overall aim of the paper is to reconstruct central traits of functional method in order to demonstrate how it works, what its function is—and where its limitations might lie. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1003122

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Author Biography

Morten Knudsen, Copenhagen Business School

Morten KNUDSEN is associate professor in organizational analysis at Department of Organization, Copenhagen Business School. He is furthermore associate dean of the executive program Master of Health Management. His research focuses on public sector reforms and decision making. Current areas of interest are the limits of quality technologies in health care, the active construction of forms of inattentiveness in decision making, and the programming of patient participation in health care decisions.

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Published

2010-09-30

How to Cite

Knudsen, M. (2010). Surprised by Method—Functional Method and Systems Theory. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 11(3). https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-11.3.1556