{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7225340322","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","title":"Scaling the social dynamics of useful rule breaking\u2013a transfer of Luhmann's concept of \u201cfunctional illegality\u201d to the societal level","display_name":"Scaling the social dynamics of useful rule breaking\u2013a transfer of Luhmann's concept of \u201cfunctional illegality\u201d to the societal level","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-11-05","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7225340322","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","pdf_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210/pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2596068225","display_name":"Frontiers in Sociology","issn_l":"2297-7775","issn":["2297-7775"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","erih-plus","poland-20","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320527","host_organization_name":"Frontiers Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320527"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Frontiers Media"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Frontiers in Sociology","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","is_traditional":true,"indexed_in":["crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210/pdf","any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5014934383","display_name":"Charlotte Renda","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9351-5983","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9351-5983"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I20121455","display_name":"Bielefeld University","ror":"https://ror.org/02hpadn98","country_code":"DE","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I20121455"]}],"countries":["DE"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Charlotte Renda","raw_affiliation_strings":["Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I20121455"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":1,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5014934383"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I20121455"],"apc_list":{"value":1175,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":1418},"apc_paid":{"value":1175,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":1418},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.0,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"11","issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12231","display_name":"Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice","score":0.40700000524520874,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12231","display_name":"Contemporary Sociological Theory and Practice","score":0.40700000524520874,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13728","display_name":"Crime, Deviance, and Social Control","score":0.17589999735355377,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T13212","display_name":"German Social Sciences and History","score":0.15639999508857727,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/niklas-luhmann","display_name":"Niklas Luhmann","score":0.9150000214576721},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/rule-violations","display_name":"rule violations","score":0.7509999871253967},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-dynamics","display_name":"social dynamics","score":0.49900001287460327},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/differentiation","display_name":"differentiation","score":0.5059999823570251},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/institutional-tensions","display_name":"institutional tensions","score":0.4410000145435333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/social-systems-theory","display_name":"social systems theory","score":0.3840000033378601}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C14036430","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3736076","display_name":"Function (biology)","level":2,"score":0.5357999801635742},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144024400","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21201","display_name":"Sociology","level":0,"score":0.5353000164031982},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C118084267","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q26110","display_name":"Positive economics","level":1,"score":0.48820000886917114},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C111472728","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9471","display_name":"Epistemology","level":1,"score":0.40380001068115234},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145912823","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113558","display_name":"Dynamics (music)","level":2,"score":0.40369999408721924},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C99844830","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q102441924","display_name":"Scaling","level":2,"score":0.3765000104904175},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.3702999949455261},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C179133015","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1639378","display_name":"Social system","level":2,"score":0.33090001344680786},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778334786","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1586270","display_name":"Variation (astronomy)","level":2,"score":0.28299999237060547},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2988430800","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q428971","display_name":"Scaling law","level":3,"score":0.2808000147342682},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778755073","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10858537","display_name":"Scale (ratio)","level":2,"score":0.27730000019073486},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C67469775","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q304922","display_name":"Social dynamics","level":2,"score":0.2605000138282776}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","pdf_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210/pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2596068225","display_name":"Frontiers in Sociology","issn_l":"2297-7775","issn":["2297-7775"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","erih-plus","poland-20","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320527","host_organization_name":"Frontiers Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320527"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Frontiers Media"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Frontiers in Sociology","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:b47d06133fbf4bfd8680b64de2a4559f","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/b47d06133fbf4bfd8680b64de2a4559f","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401280","display_name":"DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"Frontiers in Sociology, Vol 11 (2026)","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210","pdf_url":"https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sociology/articles/10.3389/fsoc.2026.1909210/pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2596068225","display_name":"Frontiers in Sociology","issn_l":"2297-7775","issn":["2297-7775"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","doaj","erih-plus","poland-20","russia-white-list-1","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320527","host_organization_name":"Frontiers Media","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320527"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Frontiers Media"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Frontiers in Sociology","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","score":0.8999999761581421,"display_name":"Peace, justice, and strong institutions"}],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":true,"pdf":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7225340322.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7225340322.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":56,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W46862256","https://openalex.org/W64600702","https://openalex.org/W99713636","https://openalex.org/W127628181","https://openalex.org/W183633957","https://openalex.org/W1520141327","https://openalex.org/W1757058978","https://openalex.org/W1927038361","https://openalex.org/W1975947821","https://openalex.org/W1976793337","https://openalex.org/W2018521801","https://openalex.org/W2038035028","https://openalex.org/W2050507986","https://openalex.org/W2054232302","https://openalex.org/W2073921166","https://openalex.org/W2107131536","https://openalex.org/W2112883940","https://openalex.org/W2140853643","https://openalex.org/W2155909723","https://openalex.org/W2168283218","https://openalex.org/W2189821821","https://openalex.org/W2238214121","https://openalex.org/W2273118205","https://openalex.org/W2329329772","https://openalex.org/W2335737781","https://openalex.org/W2347945263","https://openalex.org/W2466936528","https://openalex.org/W2489255815","https://openalex.org/W2526132976","https://openalex.org/W2576587352","https://openalex.org/W2739994068","https://openalex.org/W2740789543","https://openalex.org/W2774860434","https://openalex.org/W2797995366","https://openalex.org/W2801597154","https://openalex.org/W2904886575","https://openalex.org/W2945917425","https://openalex.org/W2968750768","https://openalex.org/W3015272350","https://openalex.org/W3124380071","https://openalex.org/W3124811088","https://openalex.org/W3161046293","https://openalex.org/W4200402671","https://openalex.org/W4207009882","https://openalex.org/W4233246937","https://openalex.org/W4236359481","https://openalex.org/W4247276013","https://openalex.org/W4308364991","https://openalex.org/W4399785654","https://openalex.org/W4401856227","https://openalex.org/W4407150398","https://openalex.org/W4407342277","https://openalex.org/W4413159068","https://openalex.org/W4415592628","https://openalex.org/W4416865158","https://openalex.org/W6925110228"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W7010740969","https://openalex.org/W2335737781","https://openalex.org/W4398208877","https://openalex.org/W7066179234","https://openalex.org/W4412603414","https://openalex.org/W7169506991","https://openalex.org/W4244356947","https://openalex.org/W6925110228","https://openalex.org/W2752624907","https://openalex.org/W4401241804"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"This":[0],"article":[1,71,95],"revisits":[2],"Niklas":[3],"Luhmann's":[4],"concept":[5],"of":[6,24,36,79,104],"\u201cfunctional":[7],"illegality,\u201d":[8],"originally":[9],"developed":[10],"for":[11,75],"organizations,":[12],"and":[13,68,82],"shows":[14],"that":[15,28],"it":[16],"can":[17],"be":[18],"extended":[19],"productively":[20],"to":[21,49],"the":[22,76,102],"level":[23],"society.":[25],"It":[26],"argues":[27],"rule-deviations":[29],"within":[30],"function":[31],"systems":[32],"are":[33],"not":[34],"signs":[35],"institutional":[37],"weakness":[38],"or":[39],"pathologies,":[40],"but":[41],"recurrent":[42],"and,":[43],"under":[44],"certain":[45],"conditions,":[46],"functional":[47,106],"responses":[48],"tensions":[50],"generated":[51],"by":[52,97],"differentiation":[53],"itself.":[54],"Illegality":[55],"is":[56],"understood":[57],"here":[58],"in":[59,85],"a":[60,99],"non-juridical":[61],"sense":[62],"as":[63,90],"deviation":[64],"from":[65,107],"system-internal":[66],"programmes":[67],"standards.":[69],"The":[70,94],"discusses":[72],"three":[73],"explanations":[74],"systematic":[77],"emergence":[78],"such":[80],"deviations":[81],"then":[83],"focusses":[84],"particular":[86],"on":[87],"\u201cauxiliary":[88],"codes\u201d":[89],"semi-legitimate":[91],"supporting":[92],"structures.":[93],"concludes":[96],"taking":[98],"look":[100],"at":[101],"problem":[103],"distinguishing":[105],"non-functional":[108],"illegality.":[109]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-11-09T13:22:03.289127","created_date":"2026-11-06T00:00:00"}