SOCIAL-SYSTEMS THEORY, POSTMODERNITY AND THE REGION

The preoccupation with postmodern deconstruction has dimmed the light on the movement of social systems theory toward ''construction. Yet this theory exhibits a certain affinity with the recently emerging forms of socio-spatial theory, and offers applicability in diverse fields of social scientific inquiry. By means of a deconstructive and reconstructive scrutiny of its key dimensions, social systems theory is brought into a challenging debate on postmodernity. Finally, the relevance of social systems theory for the region as an appropriate theoretical object is assessed.