On the relationship of general pedagogy and social pedagogy

The relationship of social pedagogy and general pedagogy has become increasingly unclear. This contribution chooses an approach from a system-theoretical perspective in order to clarify this relationship. Using the theoretical concept of functional differentiation as a starting point, it is pointed out that in the present discourse two categorically different positions can be identified: the decomposition paradigm and the differentiation paradigm. On this basis, the author elaborates well-founded perspectives for a constructive relationship of social pedagogy and general pedagogy.