Norbert Elias

The idea behind Elias’s key concept of “the civilizing process” is essentially Weberian. Personality and social structure are in close inter-relationship—as social structure changes, so does the individual personality structure, which causes further change in social structure. Humans are oriented by both nature and nurture (social learning through informal socialization, education, and socially created reciprocal need) to exist only in interdependent relationship with others. It is through these interdependencies (or “figurations”) that individuals define the self and the world; satisfy their needs, and orient their thoughts and actions. As these figurations change individual personality structure necessarily changes as well. Like a dance, Elias writes, the figuration is independent of the individuals who make it up at any point in time, its character and form largely orients these individuals to one another. But the character and form of the dance itself is highly dependent upon both historical and contemporary individuals who make up the figuration. The individual and society (figurations) are therefore inseparable, that is, they are different parts of a single whole, incapable of being understood as separate phenomena.

Study Questions: Address the following questions fully and completely in your own words and voice; save your answers electronically. You will see at least one of these questions on your next unit exam in which you will be asked to demonstrate that you have read and mastered the material. Prepare your answers now.  What is the civilizing process? What are the similarities and differences between it and rationalization? Why is Elias classified as a Weberian? According to Elias, how has the centralization of power caused the civilizing process? What is Elias's evidence for the civilizing process? What is the monopoly mechanism?

 
Read:

Chapter 9: "Norbert Elias's Sociology" in Macrosociology: The Study of Sociocultural Systems.