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Sociology and Norbert Elias
Research Guide
What is Sociology and Norbert Elias?
Sociology and Norbert Elias is a field of study that examines the interplay between violence and civilization through Elias's theories, including the civilizing process, micro-sociological dynamics of violence, emotional entrainment, and figurational sociology in social change.
This field draws heavily on Norbert Elias's works, with 11,025 papers exploring social dynamics, emotions, solidarity, and violence in societies. Elias and Dunning (1986) in "Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process" analyze sport and leisure as part of the civilizing process. Collins (2008) in "Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory" develops micro-sociological perspectives on violence aligned with Eliasian approaches.
Topic Hierarchy
Research Sub-Topics
Civilizing Process
Researchers examine Norbert Elias's theory of the civilizing process, analyzing historical shifts in manners, self-control, and social interdependencies across societies. Studies explore its application to modern phenomena like sport, leisure, and state formation.
Figurational Sociology
This area investigates figurational sociology as developed by Elias, focusing on networks of interdependencies and power balances in social configurations. Research applies it to community studies like established-outsider relations.
Micro-sociological Theory of Violence
Scholars study the micro-dynamics of violent situations, including emotional entrainment and situational escalation drawing on Eliasian insights. Works like Collins' theory integrate Elias to explain interactional violence patterns.
Eliasian Sociology of Sport
Research applies Elias's civilizing process to sport and leisure, analyzing excitement quests, hooliganism, and changing standards of bodily control. It covers historical developments in sports as civilizing agencies.
Emotional Dynamics in Eliasian Sociology
This sub-topic explores emotions, solidarity, and affective entrainment within Elias's framework of interdependent figurations. Studies link emotional management to civilizing shifts and social change.
Why It Matters
Elias's theories in "The Established and the Outsiders" (1994) explain community conflicts through established-outsider relations, applied in sociology to analyze neighborhood dynamics and social exclusion. In international relations, Kalyvas (2001) in "“New” and “Old” Civil Wars: A Valid Distinction?" uses sociological lenses to question distinctions between civil war types, informing studies of violence with 629 citations. Collins (2008) in "Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory" provides frameworks for understanding everyday violent interactions, with 580 citations, aiding analysis in criminology and social policy.
Reading Guide
Where to Start
"What is sociology" by Norbert Elias (1978) provides foundational concepts in concise form, ideal for grasping his processual and relational approach before advancing to applications.
Key Papers Explained
Elias (1978) in "What is sociology" establishes core ideas of figurational sociology, which Elias and Dunning (1986) apply to leisure in "Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process". Elias (1994) in "The Established and the Outsiders" extends this to community power dynamics, paralleled by Elias and Scotson (1994) in their enquiry version. Collins (2008) in "Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory" builds micro-level insights on these macro figurations.
Paper Timeline
Most-cited paper highlighted in red. Papers ordered chronologically.
Advanced Directions
Studies integrate Elias with civil war analysis as in Kalyvas (2001), questioning violence categorizations. Collins (2008) pushes micro-dynamics, while related topics like diversity impacts suggest frontiers in migration and inequality without new preprints.
Papers at a Glance
| # | Paper | Year | Venue | Citations | Open Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process | 1986 | Medical Entomology and... | 1.2K | ✕ |
| 2 | Network Culture: Politics for the Information Age | 2005 | European Journal of Co... | 1.2K | ✕ |
| 3 | The Established and the Outsiders | 1994 | — | 1.0K | ✕ |
| 4 | What is sociology | 1978 | Medical Entomology and... | 985 | ✕ |
| 5 | The Established and the Outsiders: A Sociological Enquiry into... | 1994 | — | 668 | ✕ |
| 6 | “New” and “Old” Civil Wars: A Valid Distinction? | 2001 | World Politics | 629 | ✕ |
| 7 | The society of individuals | 1991 | — | 603 | ✕ |
| 8 | Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory | 2008 | — | 580 | ✕ |
| 9 | The Mediated Construction of Reality | 2016 | — | 575 | ✕ |
| 10 | Notes on the Sociology of Deviance | 1962 | Social Problems | 544 | ✕ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the civilizing process in Norbert Elias's sociology?
The civilizing process describes long-term shifts in self-control, emotions, and social standards that reduce violence in societies. Elias outlines this in works like "Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process" (Elias and Dunning, 1986), linking it to leisure and sport development. It forms a core concept in figurational sociology.
How does Elias address established-outsider relations?
Established-outsider relations describe power imbalances between long-settled groups and newcomers, fostering prejudice and exclusion. "The Established and the Outsiders" (Elias, 1994) details this through a community study, with 1018 citations. Elias and Scotson (1994) expand it in "The Established and the Outsiders: A Sociological Enquiry into Community Problems", showing its role in social cohesion.
What is micro-sociological theory of violence?
Micro-sociological theory examines violence through immediate emotional and interactional dynamics, such as tension and entrainment. Collins (2008) presents this in "Violence: A Micro-sociological Theory", building on Eliasian ideas with 580 citations. It explains why most confrontations fail to produce violence.
What are key methods in Eliasian sociology?
Figurational sociology uses process-oriented analysis of interdependencies and long-term social figurations. Elias (1978) introduces this in "What is sociology", emphasizing relational concepts over individualism. It applies to violence, emotions, and change across historical scales.
How does Elias connect sociology to individuals?
Individuals exist within social figurations, balancing involvement and detachment. "The society of individuals" (Elias, 1991) explores this interdependence, written across 1939-1987 with 603 citations. It counters isolated views of the self.
What is the current state of research on Elias and violence?
Research totals 11,025 works, focusing on civilizing processes and micro-dynamics without recent growth data. Top papers like Collins (2008) sustain influence in violence studies. No recent preprints or news indicate steady incorporation into broader sociology.
Open Research Questions
- ? How do contemporary digital networks alter Elias's civilizing process amid mediated realities?
- ? Can micro-sociological violence theories fully account for state-involved civil wars?
- ? What figurational dynamics explain outsider integration failures in diverse modern communities?
- ? How do emotional entrainment processes evolve in globalized solidarity movements?
- ? In what ways do sport and leisure still drive civilizing shifts in post-industrial societies?
Recent Trends
The field maintains 11,025 papers with no specified 5-year growth, anchored by classics like Elias and Dunning at 1192 citations.
1986No recent preprints or news indicate stable influence through enduring citations of Collins and Elias (1994).
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