Epistemological Implications of a Socialisation Theory That Is Sensitive to Ambivalences: A Commentary on Kurt Luscher's Socialisation Theory of Ambivalences

This article presents an educational science commentary on Kurt Luscher's reflections concerning the socialisation theory of ambivalence. It initially describes the previously implicit examination of ambivalences in the traditions of socialisation theory. This is substantiated by primarily focusing on the various mechanisms of socialisation and their relationship to society. Then the enrichment through socialisation theory based on the ambivalence theory as formulated by Luscher is reflected upon. By discussing ambivalent processes and the accompanying liquefaction of tension relationships between the individual and society, together with the emphasis on generative constructions of identities, this heuristic theoretical perspective presents a variety of possibilities for (empirical) connections. From the perspective of educational science, this primarily results in relating to a reflective way of coping with ambivalences as an educational objective within the context of globalised and complex (world) societies, as well as an interdisciplinary discourse on the socialisation process within the context of life history approaches. Further-more, this also requires examining the concept of the human being in a socialisation theory that is sensitive to ambivalences.