APPROACHES

Thinking - in terms of processes

We have opted for an approach in which anything within the fields we are concerned with is conceptualised in terms of processes.

This implies that what is to be analysed is the on-going and "sequences" there-of.

Thinking - in terms of "populations" or "ensembles"

Following population thinking - as developed by evolutionary theory - we have adopted the notion of populations consisting of unique individuals.

In logical terms a taxon, the name applied to the taxonomic group covering such a population, is not a "class" of individuals with identical characteristics, but an "ensemble" of individuals, which have to be assigned to that ensemble in accordance with criteria to be decided upon.

Thinking - in terms of "figurations"

Following Norbert Elias we have opted for an approach in which all processes involving a plurality of units are conceptualised as "processes in figurations".

(We are referring here to core idea of the theoretical-empirical models of games as developed in "What is Sociology?" - not to the use of the notion "figuration" in figuration sociology where figurations are mostly treated as wholes.)

THE COMBINED APPROACH

If one combines these three approaches into one it appears that LANGUAGE, SOCIETY and CULTURE have to be considered as continuously changing results of the processes of interaction among the involved many.

It seems that this approach may also turn out to be fruitful in other fields.

Polylogues

We use the term POLYLOGUES for the interactive processes actually taking place - whenever the units involved are human beings.

(More about our usage of the term "polylogues" in:
Polylogue - a paradigm for cultures [http://www.inst.at/studies/s_0802_e.htm] and
Learning in Polylogues)