Concentration in contemporary society: Towards a theory of crisis based on Marx and Luhmann.

The article examines the systemic dimension of modern society as shaped by functional differentiation and simultaneous growth of multiple social systems (e.g., economy, politics, law, healthcare, education). It argues that these processes inherently produce tendencies toward concentration—defined as the unequal distribution of participation in the performances or benefits of each system—which recreates modern forms of social stratification marked by varying degrees of inclusion and exclusion. This concentration leads to homogenization of access and social immobility, generating a “lock-in” effect that undermines the adaptive capacity and functional primacy of social systems, potentially triggering systemic crises with significant societal consequences. Drawing on the theories of Karl Marx and Niklas Luhmann, the article highlights how such concentration dynamics threaten the promise of functional differentiation by reproducing structural asymmetries and exclusion across diverse social spheres.