1 The social reduction of contingency Outline of a social theory Jorge Galindo 1 Abstract In this paper I will present the outline of a general sociological theory called: The theory of the social reduction of contingency. This theory is a new solution to one of the oldest conceptual problems known by sociology: the problem of social order. By recovering Parson’s reference problem of the double contingency inherent in social interaction, I compare three important contemporary theories to show that, contrary to what is believed, they are not incommensurable; and that if they are coherently combined, they can be the cornerstone of a complementary theoretical approach. The analyzed theories are: Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice, Bruno Latour’s actor -network theory and Niklas Luhmann’s social systems theory. In the theory of the social reduction of contingency the social is no longer conceived as a realm of reality made up of particular entities, but as a problem that can be solved through diverse ontological instances such as communication, practical dispositions and materiality. 1. Types of theory in sociology Since its origins, sociology has been characterized by its theoretical diversity. There are almost as many theories as sociologists because in actual research practically everybody is producing his or her own theoretical synthesis. This doesn’t mean that there are not such things as general labels that help us classify (and criticize) the work of the different sociologist. In the realm of sociology there are functionalist or interactionalist theories, network analysis, interpretative approaches, etc. Although a certain classification can be a 1 Department of Social Sciences, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Cuajimalpa. E-mail: jorgegalindo45@hotmail.com.