Richard Münch (sociologist)
Richard Münch ( born May 13, 1945 in Niefern ) is a German sociologist.
Life and work
After his studies and doctorate (1971 ) at the Ruprecht -Karls -Universität Heidelberg Münch habilitated in 1972 at the University of Augsburg. He then accepted a professorship at the University of Cologne (1974-1976) and then had a full professorship at the Heinrich -Heine- University Dusseldorf (1976-1995), and held since 1995 at the Otto -Friedrich- University of Bamberg. He stayed several residencies at the University of California, Los Angeles ( UCLA). 2013 Münch was given emeritus status.
Key activities of Münch are sociological theory, comparative-historical sociology and sociological diagnosis of the present.
Build on Talcott Parsons
Münch was initially a relatively orthodox representatives of justifying ended Talcott Parsons and structural functionalism his system theory. He was instrumental in defending Parsons ' "grand theory" in Germany both against the competition actor- centered approaches ( symbolic interactionism, rational choice theory ) as well as against the systems theory of Niklas Luhmann. Munch is regarded as the ' most American ' German sociologist.
In " theory of action " (1982) Münch develops a reconstruction of the theories of Talcott Parsons and Emile Durkheim and Max Weber, the body set up by Parsons and modified by him " AGIL scheme " ( "four functions paradigm " ) acts as a frame of reference. The central message is that functional differentiation in autonomous systems is no " fundamental design principle of modernity " was ( as reviewer Bernhard Giesen ), but " a secondary process, its emphasis on the integrative core of the modern order rather obscured ". Parsons was the critically ( Symbolic interactionism, rational choice theory ) been accused of neglecting the micro level of individual action in relation to the macro-level social norms and structures. Münch, however, emphasizes just the " coexistence of individual autonomy and social order " as " central idea of modernity."
In " The culture of modernity " (1986, 2 vols ) Munch tried to show the comparative development of modern society since the 17th century to the examples the UK, the USA, France and Germany. It assigns each of those countries is a function of the " AGIL scheme " of Talcott Parsons, which shaped the national variety of the culture of modernity in each ideal type. So are the USA dominated in all areas of society, from the dominance of the market economy and the resulting competitiveness ( market culture ), France from the claim to power of the central government ( state culture ), United Kingdom (keyword " Gentleman's Agreement " ) from a culture of compromise, Germany (keyword " poets and thinkers " ) of cultural pursuit of consensus (as opposed to compromise ), which is as scientifically sound. This analytical grid transmits Munch on various specific problem areas, such as the analysis of differences in the environmental policy of the compared national societies.
That old European thinking ' Strikes Back - criticism of Luhmann's " old German Staatszentrismus "
That Münch sees the central driving force of modernity in the permanent tension between the reality and the normative claims, it differs significantly from Niklas Luhmann. According to Luhmann, there is no society-wide, binding values: In the economic system only counts solvency; in politics only power, etc. In contrast, Münch stressed after Parsons the interpenetration ( " interpenetration " ) of the values of the individual functional systems using symbolically generalized communication media ( in his money, power, reputation, cultural symbols, " values "). Luhmann emphasizes the autopoietic unity of the systems, Münch just the openness of communication media of the other systems. Implicitly, however, remains the cultural system with its normative "values" prevail. Luhmann's critique of normative theories of society as Aristotelian, " alteuropäischem thinking" rejects Münch; Luhmann's theory is rather " old German " constructed " from the perspective of government lawyers " and therefore contained a "secret Staatszentrismus ".
The Modern - despite and because of ever more intensive communication a " unvollendbares project" ( critique of Habermas)
In the 1990s, Munch turned from the theoretical and historical sociology, and more from the empirical presence of diagnosis. In two works on the " communication society " (1992, 1995), he emphasized the intensification of global communication flows and their importance for the development of modernism, whose central character he sees in permanent, dialectical self-criticism because of the non- fulfillment of its own promises. Unlike Habermas, Jürgen Münch considered modernity not only as " unfinished ", but also " unvollendbares project". Attempts as " realized " to explain modernity, led to totalitarianism; Communism was such a project.
Although Munch Habermas is closer than Luhmann, he has but returns its critical flipped systems theory ( " colonization of the lifeworld by the systems " ), as they have ultimately offer no theoretical safe alternative draft against Luhmann's affirmative systems theory, not have their own "grand theory". Habermas's design of the "ideal speech situation " is also naively utopian; unleashed in the communication society there is no going back in a quiet, educated middle-class discourse in which only count the better argument. At best you can and should try using this utopia in mind to try again and again, the ( equally subject to this as symbolically generalized medium of communication such as money ) "Inflation of the words" curb.
At the same time, however, Münch also issued theories of postmodernism a rebuff; he considers it similar resignation as New Age or Buddhism -inspired social esotericism, which failed to consider final attempt to remake society according to normative aspects and with a laissez -faire mentality promotes the retreat into inwardness.
Model of modern society: USA or a post- national Europe?
In his more recent book publications, inspired by Emile Durkheim's " De la division du travail social", Münch, who had Europe until then at least implicitly, usually assumes a modernity gap with the U.S. company argued that the increasingly integrated European societies with more positive interest.
Europe now tends to appear as a place of " moderate " modernity, which is their destructive consequences to mitigate rather by solidarity in the situation. Perhaps in this case makes a reception of ideas of globalization criticism noticeable.
The German higher education policy follows - so his analysis in " The academic elite " - without understanding this increasingly the American model. The strengths of the German university system are increasingly being destroyed; the methods used for evaluation of scientific quality are questionable and are not reflected sufficiently critical. It became established power structures that lead to funding always flow in the same channels and strengthen existing structures fatal.
Quotes
- Critique of systems theory, Luhmann: let the meantime theory " neither as a [ ... ] description of the reality of modern societies even as a starting point to solve their problems use. The [ whole ] is a [ ... ] by the master himself, his interpreters and critics did not notice [ ... ] confusion of analytical design and empirical reality zugrund. One can analytically construct would like economics, politics, law and science work autopoietic. However, the concrete social action is always a web of economics, politics, law and science at the same time. [ ... ] Especially in modern society are the empirical systems (or better: Activities ) from business, politics, law and science [ ... ] interpenetration zones of systems that are only analytically separate, empirically, however, always [. ..] interact ". ( Dialectic of Communication Society, pp. 172 f )