Process sociology

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The process sociology and figuration sociology is by Norbert Elias become known. The term process relates to social as well as related cognitive processes; legal processes in this context are at best a special case for possible sociological analyzes.

To the subject

In addition to critical theory and systems theory, it is one of the social theories . Process sociology claims to reflect the most appropriate perception of reality in its dynamics. Elias' endeavor was to further develop a science in which sociogenesis and psychogenesis are not viewed as separate from one another. In order to do justice to this claim, he also used psychoanalysis to develop a holistic view of man. Shortly before his death, Elias had the impression that the concept of figuration developed too close to the concept of system in use and therefore preferred the term process sociology.

classification

Process sociology, like critical theory, was strongly influenced by Marxian theory . However, process sociology does not see itself as normative. In contrast to systems theory, the worldview does not contain closed systems, but processes without beginning and without end, i.e. H. even without a goal . The focus is on people and their always dynamic interrelationships (“figurations”), not communication systems.

Bernhard Miebach rates Elias as a “visionary process theorist” based on his approach to process sociology, who consistently focuses on the process character of social action.

Basic concepts

There are no basic terms in the actual sense of the word in process sociology. Because the word “reason” already suggests something like a static mono- causal cause-and-effect model. This is out of the question in process sociology. Since language is the world as it is experienced, one speaks of “important terms”.

Elias understands terms as "symbolic representations" that describe observable phenomena, i. That is, they describe what can be known, thought, felt and expressed in a society. For Elias, terms are the “prototype of a beginningless process”, since there can be no clear starting points in the linguistic development. In terms of process sociology, terms and their development serve as “witnesses to certain structural peculiarities of societies” and as such can be scientifically examined. Elias criticizes the fact that scientific “conceptual apparatuses” usually do not depict the processuality of societies enough and often still have a “static aftertaste”. He endeavors to do the "Sisyphean work, to try precisely the opposite and to set the change of societies as the normal and the relative lingering of a society in a certain state as an expression of the blocking of change". In his work, Elias strives accordingly to develop "sufficient intellectual tools" that are able to "convey orientation".

Process sociological terms should serve as “conceptual tools” that

  • depict human beings and the societies they have formed in their processuality,
  • are as little abstract as possible,
  • help to overcome conceptual dualisms.

The conceptual and intellectual tool developed by Elias includes the following terms:

  • Social process
  • figuration
  • Civilization or civilization process or the inseparable connection between socio- and psychogenesis
  • Civilization: personal process of psychosocial development as a sub-process in the overall social process of civilization
  • Power balance
  • social and personal habitus
  • Pairs of terms that serve as balance terms "to determine the direction of social processes". Examples: civilization and decivilization, civilization and decivilization, engagement and distancing , integration and disintegration, dependence and independence, realism and fantasy, subject and object centering, we and I, analysis and synthesis, external regulation and self-regulation, individual and social needs, external and inner compulsion, security and danger, cooperation and competition, friendly and hostile competition, gossip of praise and abuse
  • Monopoly or competition mechanism (this also includes the mechanism for the formation of central positions, called the king mechanism )

research

The Elias Foundation provides information on current process-sociological research.

The following researchers work on the basis of process-sociological approaches and develop them further: Reinhard Blomert , Stefanie Ernst, Eric Dunning , Dawud Gholamasad , Peter Gleichmann , Johan Goudsblom , Hermann Korte (sociologist) , Helmut Kuzmics , Andrew Linklater, Stephen Mennell , Dieter Reicher , Bram van Stolk, Abram de Swaan, Stephen Vertigans, Annette Treibel , Hans-Peter Waldhoff , Cas Wouters.

See also

literature

  • Norbert Elias: Collected writings. (19 volumes), ed. on behalf of the Norbert-Elias-Stichting Amsterdam by Reinhard Blomert, Heike Hammer, Johan Heilbron, Annette Treibel, Nico Wilterdink.
    • Volume 1: Early Writings. edit by Reinhard Blomert, Amsterdam 2002, ISBN 3-518-58317-4 .
    • Volume 2: The court society: Studies on the sociology of royalty and the court aristocracy ; with an introduction: Sociology and History, arr. by Claudia Opitz , Amsterdam 2002, ISBN 3-518-58329-8 .
    • Volume 3. About the process of civilization: sociogenetic and psychogenetic studies, Volume 1. Changes in behavior in the western upper classes of the West, Volume 2. Changes in society, draft of a theory of civilization. edit by Heike Hammer, Amsterdam 1997, ISBN 3-518-58244-5 .
    • Volume 4: Established and Outsiders. trans. by Michael Schröter, arr. by Nico Wilterdink. Amsterdam 2002, ISBN 3-518-58318-2 .
    • Volume 5: What is Sociology? edit by Annette Treibel, Amsterdam 2006, ISBN 3-518-58429-4 .
    • Volume 6: On the loneliness of the dying in our day and humana conditio. edit by Heike Hammer, Amsterdam 2002, ISBN 3-518-58351-4 .
    • Volume 7: Norbert Elias; Eric Dunning: Sports and Tension in the Process of Civilization. trans. by Detlef Bremecke, arr. by Reinhard Blomert, Amsterdam 2002, ISBN 3-518-58363-8 .
    • Volume 8: Commitment and Distance. ed. and over. by Michael Schröter, arr. by Johan Heilbron, Amsterdam 2003, ISBN 3-518-58381-6 .
    • Volume 9: About Time. ed. by Michael Schröter, trans. by Holger Fliessbach and Michael Schröter, arr. by Johan Heilbron, Amsterdam 2004, ISBN 3-518-58421-9 .
    • Volume 10: The Society of Individuals. edit by Annette Treibel, ed. by Michael Schröter, Amsterdam 2001, ISBN 3-518-58314-X .
    • Volume 11: Studies on the Germans: Power struggles and habitus development in the 19th and 20th centuries. ed. by Michael Schröter, arr. by Nico Wilterdink, Amsterdam 2005, ISBN 3-518-58425-1 .
    • Volume 12: Mozart: on the sociology of a genius. ed. by Michael Schröter, arr. by Reinard Blomert, Amsterdam 2005, ISBN 3-518-58438-3 .
    • Volume 13: Symbol Theory. edit by Helmut Kuzmics, trans. by Reiner Ansén, Amsterdam 2001, ISBN 3-518-58309-3 .
    • Volume 14: Articles and other writings I. arr. by Heike Hammer, Amsterdam 2006, ISBN 3-518-58453-7 .
    • Volume 15: Articles and other writings II. Edit. by Heike Hammer, Amsterdam 2006, ISBN 3-518-58454-5 .
    • Volume 16: Articles and other writings III. edit by Heike Hammer, Amsterdam 2006, ISBN 3-518-58455-3 .
    • Volume 17: Autobiography and Interviews. with CD, edit by Heike Hammer, Amsterdam 2005, ISBN 3-518-58422-7 .
    • Volume 18: Poems and Sayings. edit by Sandra Goetz, Amsterdam 2004, ISBN 3-518-58386-7 .
    • Volume 19: Complete Register. edit by Jan-Peter Kunze, Amsterdam 2010, ISBN 978-3-518-58525-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ N. Elias: 'Maybe I said something about what has a future', conversation with Wolfgang Engler. In: Autobiographical and Interviews. Collected writings Volume 17. Frankfurt am Main 1989/2005, p. 373f.
  2. ↑ B. Miebach: Process theory. Analysis, organization and system. Wiesbaden 2009, p. 117.
  3. ↑ Elias, Norbert: Scientific Establishments. in: Essays and other writings II. Ges. Schriften Volume 15. Frankfurt am Main 1982c / 2006, ISBN 3-518-58454-5 , p. 307.
  4. ↑ Elias, Norbert: Symbol Theory. Ges. Schriften Volume 13. Frankfurt am Main 1991/2001, ISBN 3-518-58309-3 , p. 37.
  5. ↑ Elias, Norbert (1987/2001): Changes in the we-I balance. in: The Society of Individuals. Ges. Schriften Volume 10. Frankfurt am Main, ISBN 3-518-58314-X , p. 209.
  6. ↑ Elias, Norbert: Interview by Heiko Ernst. in: Autobiographical and interviews, m. Audio CD. Ges. Schriften Volume 17. Frankfurt am Main 1974/2005, ISBN 3-518-58422-7 , pp. 139f.
  7. ↑ Elias, Norbert: The civilization of parents - unpublished, unfinished sequel. German Literature Archive Marbach 1980, p. 3y. Quoted from Désirée Waterstradt: Process Sociology of Parenthood. Nation-building, figurative ideals and generative power architecture in Germany. Münster 2015, ISBN 978-3-95645-530-8 , initial quote.
  8. ↑ Norbert Elias: Figuration, social process and civilization: basic concepts of sociology. In: Essays and other writings III. Ges. Writings. Volume 16, Frankfurt am Main 1986/2006, ISBN 3-518-58455-3 , p. 104.
  9. ^ Waterstradt, Désirée: Process Sociology of Parenthood. Nation formation, figurative ideals and generative power architecture in Germany, Münster 2015, ISBN 978-3-95645-530-8 , pp. 3–81.
  10. ↑ Elias, Norbert: Figuration, social process and civilization: basic concepts of sociology. in: Essays and other writings III. Ges. Schriften Volume 16. Frankfurt am Main 1986/2006, ISBN 3-518-58455-3 , pp. 104-111.
  11. ↑ Elias, Norbert: Figuration, social process and civilization: basic concepts of sociology. in: Essays and other writings III. Ges. Schriften Volume 16. Frankfurt am Main 1986/2006, ISBN 3-518-58455-3 , pp. 100-103.
  12. ↑ Elias, Norbert: Figuration, social process and civilization: basic concepts of sociology. in: Essays and other writings III. Ges. Schriften Volume 16. Frankfurt am Main 1986/2006, ISBN 3-518-58455-3 , pp. 100-103.
  13. ↑ Elias, Norbert: Figuration, social process and civilization: basic concepts of sociology. in: Essays and other writings III. Ges. Schriften Volume 16. Frankfurt am Main 1986/2006, ISBN 3-518-58455-3 , pp. 104f.
  14. ↑ Norbert Elias Foundation via a blog and the Figurations newsletter