Using recent criticisms and suggestions regarding themulti-level perspective as stepping stones, the article aims to enhance the reflexivity in transition debates regarding social theories. To that end, the article discusses seven social science ontologies (rational choice, evolution theory, structuralism, interpretivism, ccepted 1 January 2010 vailable online 21 February 2010

A number of conceptions of the continuum are examined from the perspective of conceptual structuralism, a view of the nature of mathematics according to which mathematics emerges from humanly constructed, intersubjectively established, basic structural conceptions. This puts into question the idea from current set theory that the continuum is somehow a uniquely determined concept.

tructuralism and network analysis have a long and distinguished history in communication and the social sciences. Spencer (1982) and Durkheim (1964) in sociology, Radcliff-Brown (1959) in anthropology, Piaget (1971) in cognitive development, and de Saussure (1966) in linguistics all pioneered structuralism in their respective fields. Monge and Eisenberg (1987) trace the history of organizational

Theories of the sign T his consideration begins in the theories of signification proposed in Structuralism, particularly as elucidated by Ferdinand de Saussure and interpreted by Roland Barthes (drawing on Hjelmslev and others). It will further be informed by the general theory of “autopoiesis” as articulated byMaturana and Varela (1987) and by other recent studies of language and signification...