Vanderstraeten R
Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University.
Br J Sociol. 2000 Sep;51(3):581-98.
In 1984, Niklas Luhmann published Soziale Systeme in which he applies the idea of autopoiesis (= self-production) to social systems. Abstracted from its biological connotations, the concept of autopoiesis leads to a sharp distinction between different kinds of autopoietic organization, i.e. between life, consciousness and communication. According to Luhmann, the relationship between social systems and human beings cannot be adequately analysed except by taking into account that they are environments for one another. If this theoretical background is accepted, the concepts and theory of socialization need to be revised. Luhmann takes issues with classical notions such as internalization, inculcation, or 'socialization to the grounds of consensus' (Talcott Parsons). After a historical overview of social systems research and general systems theory, it is indicated how communications trigger further communications and realize the autopoiesis of social systems. In the second part of the article, the distinction between social systems and psychic systems is used to discuss issues crucial to socialization theory. Both a revision of the concept of socialization, and lines for an empirical research programme are proposed in accordance with Luhmann's theory of social systems.
1984年，尼克拉斯·卢曼出版了《社会系统》，在书中他将自创生（即自我生产）的概念应用于社会系统。从其生物学内涵中抽象出来后，自创生概念导致了不同种类的自创生组织之间的鲜明区分，即生命、意识和沟通之间的区分。根据卢曼的观点，只有考虑到社会系统和人类彼此互为环境，才能充分分析它们之间的关系。如果接受这一理论背景，社会化的概念和理论就需要修订。卢曼对诸如内化、灌输或“基于共识的社会化”（塔尔科特·帕森斯）等经典概念提出了质疑。在对社会系统研究和一般系统理论进行历史概述之后，阐述了沟通如何引发进一步的沟通并实现社会系统的自创生。在文章的第二部分，利用社会系统与心理系统之间的区分来讨论对社会化理论至关重要的问题。根据卢曼的社会系统理论，提出了对社会化概念的修订以及实证研究计划的方向。
