Observing Society: Meaning, Communication, and Social Systems By ...

Introduction

Contemporary
Social System Theory

Each individual member of a social group processes thoughts and interprets the world in a completely private manner, yet moments of mutual understanding seem to occur on a regular basis. A man shows a ring, and a woman says (with some luck), “yes.” A pistol is displayed, and a wallet is sacrificed. A ball is kicked into a net, and a crowd roars. The ring, pistol, wallet, ball, net, and the men and women acting may all be said to exist in the world, but their reality as objects does not determine what these things will mean to different people. Though they may perceive the same objects, people develop a sense for the meaning of things in the world entirely on their own terms. What can explain why two people would ever agree that a ring indicates a proposal, a wallet keeps a pistol quiet, and a ball entering a net produces both triumph and defeat in the same instant? The achievement of shared understanding among different minds is highly improbable and requires a sociological explanation. Members of groups learn to assume that other members will condition