Research Perspectives

This chapter offers some research perspectives. In the realm of empirics, it discusses a twofold level of observation and examines the description of forms as a point of departure. It also looks at the observation of social norms. Next, this chapter turns to norms beyond functional differentiation and autonomy. Here, it considers Luhmann's model of the pure norm. It comments on the inevitable hybrid character of social norms as well. In addition to these remarks, the chapter turns toward the challenge of historicism and the project of a comparison of theories, after which it discusses two perspectives on normativity succeeding—over-normativization and under-normativization.