Referring to a general conception of coping as an adaptive reaction to a perceived is-ought discrepancy, the authors present an interdisciplinary perspective on coping processes. Based on systems theory, a psychological view is compared with a sociological perspective, focusing structural equivalencies between social and individual adaptational processes. Defensive, proactive, and accommodative reactions are discussed as 3 general modes of coping. It is argued that all of these coping reactions in both individuals and social systems have specific costs and benefits, which are particularly visible if the interaction and “interpenetration” between the coping strategies of individuals and social systems are observed.
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