Universalität, Partikularität, Individualität. Zum Wandel der Orientierungsmuster sozialer Dienste.

The article discusses how German social services may change their orientation from a universalist perspective to one focused more closely on the individual assistance recipient. Talcott Parsons' formulation of universalist and particularist polarities is followed up with a discussion of Georg Simmel's notion of "qualitative individualism." A new balance between universality and particularity in social assistance is recommended.