Cadenas, H. 2012. El sistema de la estructura. Estructuralismo y teoría de sistemas sociales. Cinta moebio 45: 204-214

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The system of the structure. Structuralism and social systems theory

Mg. Hugo Cadenas (hcadenas@uchile.cl) Departamento de Antropología, Universidad de Chile (Santiago, Chile)

Abstract

This article addresses the relationship between the structuralism, especially the anthropological version of the latter in Levi-Strauss and Luhmann’s theory of social systems. The analysis is done through two guiding hypotheses. It reviews the historical background relating structuralism with systems theory and discusses the fundamental concepts that appear in this relationship. Luhmann's systems thinking are contrasted in some of its central concepts with Lévi-Strauss’s structuralist perspective. The paper concludes with a review of the hypotheses presented and some proposals about the perspective of the social systems.

Key words: Luhmann, Lévi-Strauss, structuralism, cybernetics, theory of social systems