This dissertation examines the socio-cultural conditions of Japanese society as reflected in factors that induce recent Japanese immigration to Canada. The examination is based on interview research done with six female and six male Japanese immigrants living in Vancouver, who arrived in Canada after the mid-1990s. While previous migration studies emphasized political-economic conditions as the causes of migration flow, the narratives of these interviewees reveal a different migratory pattern that is motivated by spiritual well-being and life values. In order to encapsulate the complexity of contemporary migration flow, the push/pull factors that induced interviewees' emigration are thematically categorized and analyzed within a frame that emphasizes both these factors' interdependence with the interrelationships of Japanese social systems that have swayed the interviewees' decision to emigrate from Japan, and the nature of complexity in Japanese society. Showing the pluralism of these factors, they are categorized into nine themes: 1)physical environment; 2) spiritual enrichment and a stress-reduced life style; 3) socio-cultural constraints; 4) family life; 5) education; 6) age restrictions; 7) gender roles; 8)diversification, and 9) self-actualization. Luhmann's theory of social systems and Foucault's notion of governmentality serve as touchstones for the re-interpretation of the push/pull factors based on the examination of the interrelations among three Japanese social systems of family, education, and employment. The analysis reveals the complexity of the push/pull factors. Moreover, the interviewees' image of a "simple Canada," which also contributes to their decision to immigrate, is explained in terms of the "double complexity" of Japanese society stemming from both the complexity of modern society and the complexity of an amalgam of "modern" and "pre-modern" elements in Japanese society. Through an extensive examination of the correlations between the experiences of contemporary Japanese migrants and Japanese social systems, this study brings new insights to discussions on tensions between human agency and social structure, and the importance of intangible, mental images in the ways people shape their lives.

This dissertation examines the socio-cultural conditions of Japanese society as reflected in factors that induce recent Japanese immigration to Canada. The examination is based on interview research done with six female and six male Japanese immigrants living in Vancouver, who arrived in Canada after the mid-1990s. While previous migration studies emphasized political-economic conditions as the causes of migration flow, the narratives of these interviewees reveal a different migratory pattern that is motivated by spiritual well-being and life values. In order to encapsulate the complexity of contemporary migration flow, the push/pull factors that induced interviewees' emigration are thematically categorized and analyzed within a frame that emphasizes both these factors' interdependence with the interrelationships of Japanese social systems that have swayed the interviewees' decision to emigrate from Japan, and the nature of complexity in Japanese society. Showing the pluralism of these factors, they are categorized into nine themes: 1)physical environment; 2) spiritual enrichment and a stress-reduced life style; 3) socio-cultural constraints; 4) family life; 5) education; 6) age restrictions; 7) gender roles; 8)diversification, and 9) self-actualization. Luhmann's theory of social systems and Foucault's notion of governmentality serve as touchstones for the re-interpretation of the push/pull factors based on the examination of the interrelations among three Japanese social systems of family, education, and employment. The analysis reveals the complexity of the push/pull factors. Moreover, the interviewees' image of a "simple Canada," which also contributes to their decision to immigrate, is explained in terms of the "double complexity" of Japanese society stemming from both the complexity of modern society and the complexity of an amalgam of "modern" and "pre-modern" elements in Japanese society. Through an extensive examination of the correlations between the experiences of contemporary Japanese migrants and Japanese social systems, this study brings new insights to discussions on tensions between human agency and social structure, and the importance of intangible, mental images in the ways people shape their lives.

This dissertation examines the socio-cultural conditions of Japanese society as reflected in factors that induce recent Japanese immigration to Canada. The examination is based on interview research done with six female and six male Japanese immigrants living in Vancouver, who arrived in Canada after the mid-1990s. While previous migration studies emphasized political-economic conditions as the causes of migration flow, the narratives of these interviewees reveal a different migratory pattern that is motivated by spiritual well-being and life values. In order to encapsulate the complexity of contemporary migration flow, the push/pull factors that induced interviewees' emigration are thematically categorized and analyzed within a frame that emphasizes both these factors' interdependence with the interrelationships of Japanese social systems that have swayed the interviewees' decision to emigrate from Japan, and the nature of complexity in Japanese society. Showing the pluralism of these factors, they are categorized into nine themes: 1)physical environment; 2) spiritual enrichment and a stress-reduced life style; 3) socio-cultural constraints; 4) family life; 5) education; 6) age restrictions; 7) gender roles; 8)diversification, and 9) self-actualization. Luhmann's theory of social systems and Foucault's notion of governmentality serve as touchstones for the re-interpretation of the push/pull factors based on the examination of the interrelations among three Japanese social systems of family, education, and employment. The analysis reveals the complexity of the push/pull factors. Moreover, the interviewees' image of a "simple Canada," which also contributes to their decision to immigrate, is explained in terms of the "double complexity" of Japanese society stemming from both the complexity of modern society and the complexity of an amalgam of "modern" and "pre-modern" elements in Japanese society. Through an extensive examination of the correlations between the experiences of contemporary Japanese migrants and Japanese social systems, this study brings new insights to discussions on tensions between human agency and social structure, and the importance of intangible, mental images in the ways people shape their lives. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

Unlike many of their North African and West African compatriots who reunified with family and settled in France in the 1970s and 80s, the decision of migrant worker hostel residents not to return definitively to places of origin at retirement is puzzling. Firstly, it calls into question the assumptions of the ‘myth of return’ literature, which explains non-return on the basis of family localisation. In the case of ‘geographically-single’ hostel residents, however, the grounds for non-return cannot be family localisation, since the men’s families remain in places of origin. Secondly, older hostel residents also remain unmoved by the financial incentives of a return homewards, where their French state pensions would have far greater purchasing power. Instead of definitive return, the overwhelming preference of hostel residents is for back-and-forth migration, between the hostel in France and communities of origin. The aim of this dissertation is to resolve this puzzle, by asking: What explains the hostel residents’ preference for back-and-forth mobility over definitive return at retirement? In order to make sense of these mobility decisions, several theories of migration are presented and evaluated against qualitative data from a multi-sited research design incorporating ethnography, life story and semi-structured interviews, and archive material. This fieldwork was carried out across France, Morocco and Senegal. Although no one theory adequately accounts for all the phenomena observed, the added value of each theory becomes most apparent when levels of analysis are kept distinct: at the household level as regards remittances; at the kinship/village level as regards re-integration in the home context; at the meso-level of ethnic communities in terms of migrants’ transnational ties; and at the macro-level of social systems concerning inclusion in healthcare and administrative organisations. Widening the focus beyond the puzzle/dilemma of late-in-life mobility, the thesis concludes by questioning what ‘home’ can mean for the retired hostel residents. An innovative way of theorising home – building on conventional conceptions of home based on territory and community – is outlined, arguing that to be ‘at home’ can also mean to be ‘included’ in different ‘social systems’. With this argument the thesis aims to contribute to broader debates on what it means for immigrants to belong and achieve inclusion in society.

Die Arbeit verfolgt die These, dass es sich beim Markt nicht um ein wirtschaftliches Phänomen handelt. Vor dem Hintergrund des wirtschaftssoziologischen Diskurses plädiert sie entsprechend für einen trans-ökonomischen Marktbegriff, auf dessen Grundlage sich auch Märkte in Erdregionen und Erdzeitaltern beobachten lassen, in denen Gesellschaft nicht funktional primär-differenziert ist oder war.

A teoria da sociedade de Niklas Luhmann, construída como teoria de sistemas sociais, encontra freqüentes críticas voltadas contra seu pretendido distanciamento moral e político no diagnóstico da sociedade contemporânea. Pesa sobre a teoria de sistemas sociais a generalização de um juízo prematuro conforme o qual ela se reduziria a uma sociologia conservadora de tendência tecnocrata, uma herdeira radicalizada do positivismo. Contudo, e contrariamente a essa percepção geral, a teoria de sistemas sociais parece ter um potencial crítico ainda inexplorado em toda a sua extensão, e que pode ser ativado por uma leitura que permita expandir o alcance da teoria. Essa expansão pode ser promovida quando a teoria de sistemas sociais é mobilizada para fundamentar uma teoria da comunicação de matriz materialista (capítulo 1), capaz de permitir que sua categoria fundamental a autopoiese seja compreendida em estreita relação com a apresentação do capital por Karl Marx (capítulo 2) e confrontada com uma teoria do capitalismo (capítulo e 3). Na seqüência, a teoria de sistemas sociais é empregada para dar conta das múltiplas dimensões da desigualdade social (capítulo 4) e da dinâmica dos conflitos e das contradições da sociedade atual (capítulo 5). Esta tese propõe um primeiro passo na direção de uma recepção crítica da obra teórica de Niklas Luhmann. Trata-se de testar os limites e as possibilidades da teoria de sistemas sociais. / Niklas Luhmanns theory of society, built as theory of social systems, is usually met with criticisms pointed against its intended moral and political distance in diagnosing contemporary society. Weights upon the social systems theory the generalization of a premature judgement according to which, this theory would be reduced to a conservative sociology with technocratic tendencies, a radicalised heir to positivism. However, and against this usual perception, the theory of social systems seems to have a critical potential not yet developed in its full extension and which may be activated by an interpretation capable of expanding its range. This extension can be carried out when we handle social systems theory in order to ground a materialistic theory of communication (chapter 1), enabling a close connection between its main conceptual category autopoiesis and Karl Marxs presentation of the capital (chapter 2), as well as a confrontation with a theory of capitalism (chapter 3). Afterwards, social systems theory is used to explaining the manifoldness of social inequality (chapter 4) and the dynamics of contemporary conflicts and societal contradictions (chapter 5). This thesis proposes a first step in the direction of a critical reception of Niklas Luhmanns theoretical work. It is a matter of testing limits and possibilities of social systems theory

O presente trabalho analisa, com base na teoria dos sistemas sociais de Niklas Luhmann, o que significa fazer história do direito na sociedade moderna. Diante da caracterização desta sociedade como funcionalmente diferenciada, é exposta a complexidade temporal dos sistemas sociais e, em particular, do direito enquanto um possível objeto de pesquisa histórica, para em seguida avaliar em que consistem as observações históricas realizadas na sociedade atual. Por fim, avalia-se a adequação da teoria dos tempos históricos de Reinhart Koselleck à complexidade temporal da sociedade moderna. / This work analyzes, based on Niklas Luhmanns social systems theory, what it means to make legal history in modern society. Considering its characterization as a functionally differentiated society, it is exposed the temporal complexity of the social systems and particularly of law, as one of the possible subjects of historical research, to then examine what are the historical observations performed in the present society. Finally, it is evaluated how adequate is Reinhart Kosellecks theory of historical times to the temporal complexity of the modern society.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T17:20:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 26 / CNPQ – Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A lex mercatoria faz parte de um pluralismo jurídico global que ressurge com a globalização e com a consolidação da sociedade mundial diferenciada. Por meio da teoria dos sistemas sociais autopoiéticos é realizada uma construção de um novo sentido para a lex mercatoria. Essa construção tem como base uma arquitetura sistêmica, que pressupõe três questões fundamentais: contingência, paradoxo e decisão; sendo dessa forma divididos os três capítulos que se seguem. O primeiro capítulo busca entre a contingência histórica evolutiva uma identidade com a sociedade mundial diferenciada, para a reconstrução de um sentido para a lex mercatoria. Assim, chega-se à hipercomplexidade da observação, que gera uma policontexturalidade operacional. A partir desses dois conceitos, a lex mercatoria pode ter um novo sentido e novos elementos comunicativos. No segundo capítulo, são enfrentados os paradoxos da lex mercatoria: o Direito Sem Estado é reconstruído por um Direito Heterárquico; droit corporatif por acoplamentos estrutura / The lex mercatoria is part of a global legal pluralism which reemerges with globalization and consolidation of world differentiated society. Through the autopoietic social systems theory is carried out a construction of a new meaning to the lex mercatoria. This construction is based on a systemic architecture that requires three key issues: contingency, paradox and decision; the three chapters are divided like that. The first chapter seeks between the historical evolution contingency an identity with the differentiated global society, to rebuild a meaning for the lex mercatoria. Thus, the hypercomplex observation generates an operational polycontexturality. From these two concepts the lex mercatoria may have a new direction and new communicative elements. The second chapter is facing the paradoxes of the lex mercatoria: Law without State is reconstructed by a Heterarchichal Law; droit corporatif by structural couplings; contract sans loi by soft law, customary Law by episodic Law. These four communicative ele

本論文從系統分化的社會演化觀點嘗試提出對現代民主之內涵與民主化開展之可能性的另種論述。本文中所提及的「民主」與民主化不一定跳脫西方世界對相關概念的想像與定義，但在嘗試將「民主」視為政治系統用以描述自身之方式的這個主張而言，無論是西方式民主或者是其他種類的民主均能夠含括於其中。此外，民主化的開展僅被視為政治系統朝向「民主」的一種系統分化的社會演化過程。西方國家對民主的界定則是在此分化的演化發展中，透過宗教與政治、宗教與法律，以及政治與法律等系統彼此之間、以及從社會中分化出來而取得之形式「之一」。這是一個對系統而言不斷增加複雜性的過程，也正是在此過程中，對於民主或民主化之內容的界定變得越來越不容易。在本論文對西方與台灣民主化過程的探究中，嘗試指出的是一個類似的功能分化的社會演化與系統內部分化的相互辯證過程。這個辯證過程使現代「民主」概念得以作為一個「未預期之後果」而出現。 宗教對信仰自由的維護與對人權的爭取毋寧是來自於自身的信仰元素。換句話說，與之有關的論述是以一種自我指涉的運作方式而獲得實現。此種不斷回到自身之信仰以尋求論述之正當性的作法在操作上賦予了這些論述正當性，這便是系統的自我指涉運作。就此而言，系統毋寧是封閉的，其在自身之中不斷地自我生產有關信仰自由與人權的論述。然而，也正是因為其運作上的封閉，使得宗教（長老教會）所生產出來的論述與接續之行動均能夠在內部獲得支持，從而對自身而言具有正當性。這個正當性也成為其能夠進行觀察與自我描述的基礎。從系統論的觀點而言，長老教會在政治與社會關懷的論述與行動上，便是以封閉為基礎的開放性自我指涉運作。若非以此自我指涉的封閉且開放之運作為其系統形成的特性，那麼論述與行動的正當性便易於受到質疑，甚至無法獲得系統內部的支持。據此，現代社會以功能為主要分化形式的系統形成，至少在時間面向上均必須取得自我指涉或自主性運作上的正當性。這個正當性決定於系統在多大程度上能夠持續地維持與其環境的界線。長老教會對人權與信仰自由的主張與論述的建構，或許是與政治系統對相同論題的溝通存在著無法跨越的差異。這個差異同時也標示的是宗教與政治系統之間的那個界線，而這個差異的維持在系統分化的社會演化過程中，使得「民主（化）」作為政治系統乃至於社會描述自身的語意是可能的。 / This thesis draws on Niklas Luhmann’s theory of social systems, and examines the relationship between religion and democratization in Taiwan. In order to advance the analysis and to make some helpful suggestions, two points are firstly highlighted. One is the concept of democracy itself, and the other is the descriptions of it by the political system and by other social systems within society. The word ‘democracy’ has long history since ancient Greek city-state, however, its modern use and the meaning of it can possibly date back to the Middle ages, especially to the sixteenth century. Modern concept of democracy relates to the tradition of monotheism, in this case referring to the Reformation and later to the formation of Western political philosophy. The second point argues that ‘democracy’ is simply a self-description of society, and its realization lies in the transformation of the form of differentiation from hierarchical to functional. Luhmann would like to link the semantics to social evolution, by which he can investigate and explore the dialectical process between semantics and structures. The analysis of the relationship between democracy and democratization refers to this dialectical process, concerning systems differentiation and social evolution. Issues relating to democratization, the consolidation of democracies, and their discontented consequences, etc. need to be reconsidered in the sense that the concept of democracy and its modern descriptions utilize a ‘paradox’ which must be hidden while forming and maintaining identities, whether they be societies, nations, or individuals. This constitutes both positive and negative sides of the development of democracy, and also leads to crises gradually confronted by those ‘matured’ democratic Western countries and also by some third-wave democratizing regions. Among them exists a similar problem which will be discussed in this thesis: the concept of democracy and its modern developments are increasingly eroding its own foundation when the differentiation of subsystems and the evolution of society both go too far. This by no means indicates that there will not be any democracy in the near future. Instead, as an observer observing observations, this thesis inquires our present situations while at the same time attempting at offering some possible and also suitable questions from systems theory perspective.

The thesis aims to contribute to the theoretical grounding of diakonia as the Christian-oriented practice of helping in modern society. Methodologically the author works with the social systems theory developed by Niklas Luhmann, which enables a differentiated description of the multidimensional reality of Christian helping action in its historical development and present situation. In the first part, the topic is theologically grounded ? biblically, historically and dogmatically. Then the main features of social systems theory are presented. Emphasis is placed on the dual ? primary (functional) and secondary (social) ? differentiation in society and its consequences for understanding diakonia. In this context diakonia is observed as the structural coupling of the systems of social help and Christianity and subsequently defined as helping in gospel perspective, which can be observed at micro-, meso- and macro-levels, i.e., in the context of interaction, organization and society ? and at the same time different theories must be developed for Christian helping at the individual levels. In the second part, the sociological description of the differentiation of diakonia is first confronted with theologically-oriented descriptions of differentiation in the context of Christianity and, following especially Wichern?s division of diakonia into civic, free and ecclesial, attention is focused on the ?tripod of diakonia? in the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren in the form of Diaconia of ECCB, Christian service and diaconate. This multi-focus view of diakonia makes it possible to reflect on its mutually irreducible layers and search for adequate theories for each of them. In the formation of the Christian dimension of the organization emphasis is placed on cultivating an adequate organization culture. Interaction has to do with the mutual ?neighborly? help within a community. The specific function of diaconate is identified in constructing bridges between the ecclesial level of Christianity and its connection with the system of social help, as well as other partial systems in society ? and in this sense it is perceived as again highly relevant. In the concluding chapter, the communication-based approach of social systems theory is correlated with the practical-theological paradigm of gospel communication. In this context diakonia is understood as an inseparable part of ?gospel communication?.