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By analyzing debates about social "complexity" in the American policy sciences and in intellectual discourse of the 1970s, this article draws attention to the social embeddedness of concept formation and theory building in the social sciences. In the 1970s, a new concept of social "complexity" emerged in the social sciences, when scholars transferred and adapted elements of complexity theory from mathematics, computer science, cybernetics, and general systems theory to refine social theory. The article analyzes the context and conditions in which this transfer occurred. It shows that the scholarly debates about social complexity were entwined with broader public‐political discourses, dealing in particular with the challenges of government and public policy in the advanced Western democracies. The discourse on complexity among social scientists had additional layers of meaning: even in academic discourse, "complexity" was also used as a buzzword and as a metaphor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reality is much more complex than the picture that we create from it. There is no permanent order and stability for complex systems. Decision-makers are thus faced with a dilemma: On the one hand they do not solve problems; they tackle them by achieving a broadest possible consensus for an indefinite period. On the other hand they must present their decisions rhetorically polished, so that this predicament in which they find themselves, remains concealed. The focus of this article is on selection of decision-making, problem-solving, and creativity techniques. Special emphasis will be placed - in addition to the classical techniques - on methods, techniques and strategies which are seldom or not at all used in the LIS world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal for Sociology of Education & Socialization / Zeitschrift für Soziologie der Erziehung & Sozialisation is the property of Julius Beltz GmbH & Co. KG Beltz Juventa and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The advent of the next crisis is inevitable - we just cannot predict its shape and intensity. But what are the means to lessen the impact of this crisis? Multiple methods and tools are at hand to solve this problem. It is a fallacy to believe that a panacea of just applying the 'right' methodology and technology will lead to a solution. Reality is more complex than this artificial simulacrum. This poses several fundamental questions: what are the characteristics of a problem? What is the difference between a problem and a task? Can complexity be managed sustainably? What are options for complexity reduction? How can information professionals contribute? This precognition is the prerequisite to solving problems for indefinite time.

In his booklet ‘Contributions to a better founded presentation of mathematics’ of 1810 Bernard Bolzano made his first serious attempt to explain the notion of a rigorous proof. Although the system of logic he employed at that stage is in various respects far below the level of the achievements in his later Wissenschaftslehre, there is a striking continuity between his earlier and later work as regards the methodological constraints on rigorous proofs. This paper tries to give a perspicuous and critical account of the fragmentary logic of Beyträge, and it shows that there is a tension between that logic and Bolzano's methodological ban on ‘kind crossing’. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article is based on an empirical study on the development of textual competence of Bulgarian pupils. It is focussed on stories, written by pupils aged 14 to 17 years with different competence and knowledge in German as a foreign language. The authors can show that the length of the sentences rises by the age of the pupils. The complexity of the sentences grows with the increasing level of linguistic security. Further, it is probable that the text size depends on age and sex. The results also reveal the low efficiency of teaching German at primary school. Finally, it can be concluded that creative writing represents a useful method for testing textual competence in foreign language teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Soziale Systeme is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Soziale Systeme is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Soziale Systeme is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Soziale Systeme is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Soziale Systeme is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Soziale Systeme is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Soziologie is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article discusses aspects of ignorance and uncertainty involving the decontextualization of phenomena under "unnatural" laboratory conditions, the unexpected consequences of knowledge products, and the narrowness of knowledge models and idealized laboratory conditions that breed new uncertainty. Above all the author stresses the role of complexity, in which ignorance and knowledge are more-or-less entangled, as in predicting the outcome of roulette wheel spin versus predicting an eclipse.