systact

systact

a group or category of persons in specified ROLES, where these persons have, by virtue of these roles, ‘a distinguishable and more than transiently similar location, and, on that account, a common interest’ (RUNCIMAN, 1989). The term has been proposed by Runciman with the aim of making it ‘easier to report and compare the institutions of different societies without having to be precommitted to a view on such vexed and theoretical questions’ such as the difference between class and rank societies, ‘ruling class’ or ‘governing élite’.