Some sociologists apply the tools of historical sociology and genetics of concepts to attempt to strip away the universalistic and transhistorical nature of the notions and theories that were formed from the analysis of the historical processes of modernization affecting Western European societies. These concepts and theories can, therefore, be used as convenient instruments for examining any social reality, as they conserve their analytical powers while shedding their predictive nature.

Since Durkheim (1893) wrote his work on the division of social labor, sociology has held differentiation to be one of the underlying tenets of the theory of modernization. This theory has largely served as the skeleton for our discipline. The main aim of this chapter is to offer guidelines for analyzing certain changes in the realm of differentiation that are transforming contemporary Western European societies. I will first highlight some elements in the theory of differentiation that are relevant to this task. I will then identify some of the primary processes in the differentiation of spheres, institutions and symbolic systems that occurred during what is termed the “modernization process.” In the third and final section, I will seek to explain a number of contemporary changes in these differentiation processes.

Toward an Analytical Theory of Social Differentiation

According to Luhmann:

Subsequently, with Parsons the theory of differentiation adopts a theoretical coding from sociology, and with it a certain risk of ossification. However, some sociologists used this theory to offer an interesting ideal description of the historical evolution of several social institutions and an empirical analysis of various social realities.