SOCIOLOGICAL-THEORY AND THE SPACE-TIME DIMENSION OF SOCIAL-SYSTEMS

This article identifies the traditional Newtonian-Kantian definition of time and space in sociology and argues that, although certain important steps have been taken to overcome this outdated view, these novel perspectives have remained undeveloped as regards social systems. Accordingly, an approach is proposed that centres on the space-time dimension of social systems and their variable configuration. The article introduces the notions of 'collective subjectivity' and 'collective causality' so as to surpass the view of agents as atoms that move in homogeneous time and space. A critical assessment is thereby provided of the main recent contributions to this topic in sociological theory.