Journal Articles

Culture as the Co-evolution of Psychic and Social Systems: New Perspectives on the Person—Environment Relationship

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In this article we contribute a new theoretical perspective to the analysis of the relationship between individual and culture, and the person and the environment. Many hotly debated issues in cultural psychology, such as reification, the discourse of personality traits, and models of part—whole hierarchies are productively addressed. Taking a systems-theoretical approach following Niklas Luhmann and others, we distinguish three different types of system and their operational processes (biotic, psychic and social) and suggest that the person—environment relationship should be conceptualized as a process of co-evolution of psychic and social systems. We discuss the critical role of communication in this process and its implications for the concept of culture. Our own research on classroom disruptions and problem behavior in educational settings provides illustrative examples for the kinds of methodological considerations generally relevant to a systems-theoretical approach in empirical research.

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Detail Information

Series Title

Culture & Psychology

Call Number

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Publisher

: sage publisher., 2010

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

1354067x

Classification

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Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Vol. 16, No. 2, June 2010. pp. 213-241

Subject(s)

Systems theory
Behavior disorders
Social systems
Person—environment relationship
Classroom disruption

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