werte und wertwandel: ein kritischer beitrag zur gegenwaertigen diskussion

abstract: the social and political importance attached to the phenomenon of value change can only be understood, when starting from a theory concerning the central functions of values for social integration. within the ongoing discussion these underlying assumptions remain mostly implicit; proceeding from parson's sociology this paper intends to make them explicit. it can be demonstrated that the consequences of value chance culminating in the assertion of a society-wide transformation-process as it is stated by several authors can hold some plausibility only when it is based on these assumptions. because of the problematic aspects of the theory and moreover its deductions they provide rather an obstacle to the empirical analysis of value change and its consequences.;