Norbert Elias

Norbert Elias (1897–1990) was a German-British sociologist who developed theories of long-term social processes, figurations, and the interdependence of individuals.

Figurational sociology: A sociological approach that studies people as interdependent networks whose relationships change over time. Elias developed this approach to replace explanations that treat individuals and society as separate.
Breslau: A Central European city, now Wrocław, Poland, where Elias was born and grew up. Elias’s early life in Breslau shaped his experience of German Jewish society.
Court society: A social order organized around a ruler’s court, where status and access depend on finely balanced relations. Elias used the French court to trace changing power relations and self-restraint.
Eric Dunning: A British sociologist known for research on sport and violence with Norbert Elias. Dunning collaborated with Elias on the sociology of sport and leisure.
Historical sociology: The study of how societies and social structures change over historical time. Elias’s long-term analyses became a major model for linking history and sociology.
The Civilizing Process: Elias’s account of long-term changes in European manners, emotional restraint, and social organization. This major work applies his processual approach to changing conduct and power.
University of Heidelberg: A German university where Elias studied philosophy and sociology. His studies there placed him in the intellectual world that shaped his early work.
State formation: The historical consolidation of political authority and institutions within a territory. Elias connected state monopolies of force and taxation to long-term social change.
John L. Scotson: A British sociologist who co-authored a study of established and outsider groups with Elias. Scotson’s fieldwork underpinned their influential community study.
Process sociology: A sociological approach that explains social life through ongoing, interdependent processes. Elias’s work is a foundational source for this approach.

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