What is the figurational tradition in sociology?
Figurational sociology. Figurational sociology is a research tradition in which figurations of humans—evolving networks of interdependent humans—are the unit of investigation. Although more a methodological stance than a determinate school of practice, the tradition has one essential feature: Concern for process, not state.
Who is the father of Figurational Sociology?
Figurational Sociology. Figurational sociology research and theory was pioneered by Norbert Elias (1897–1990), a German of Jewish descent who became a naturalized Englishman in 1952. His work is best seen as an attempt to synthesize the central ideas of Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Max Weber, and Sigmund Freud.
What is figurational theory in sport?
Figurational Theory. It is clear that theoretical frameworks that assume an intent to harm the lower classes do not fit in a case where those classes were, in fact, benefited. Figurational theory recognized the complexities of modern sports and allows a means to determine the importance to the particular community as well as...
Is figurational studies a ‘theoretical school’?
Members of the figurational studies network do not see themselves as a ‘theoretical school’, but rather as participants in an open-minded and open-ended research tradition. Elias himself always denied any wish to lay down a fixed set of doctrines of the type, often based on some philosophical stance, which underlie most theoretical ‘perspectives’.
Who developed the Figurational theory?
Norbert Elias54-69, 2004. This essay explores the concept of figuration or configuration developed by Norbert Elias with the purpose to overcome the antinomies of structural functionalism and methodological individualism.
What does figuration mean in sociology?
Definition. Figurations are dynamic networks of people bonded through mutual dependencies over space and time or, in Norbert Elias's own words, “a structure of mutually orientated and dependent people… the network of interdependencies formed by individuals” (Elias, 2000, p. 482).
Who developed Figurational sociology as a theoretical perspective?
482). Description The concept of figurations was developed by the sociologist Norbert Elias to convey the shifting links between people as the nature and extent of their interdependencies change over time.
Is sociology a history?
Historical sociology is an interdisciplinary field of research that combines sociological and historical methods to understand the past, how societies have developed over time, and the impact this has on the present.
What is an example of figuration in sociology?
In an ongoing game, the two teams form with each other a single figuration. It requires a capacity for distancing oneself from the game to recognize that the actions of each side constantly interlock with those of their opponents and thus that the two opposing sides form a single figuration. So do antagonistic states.
What figuration means?
Definition of figuration 1 : form, outline. 2 : the act or process of creating or providing a figure. 3 : an act or instance of representation in figures and shapes cubism was explained as a synthesis of colored figurations of objects— Janet Flanner.
What is positivism in sociology?
Positivism: Sociological Positivism is the name for the scientific study of the social world. Its goal is to formulate abstract and universal laws on the operative dynamics of the social universe. A law is a statement about relationships among forces in the universe.
What according to Durkheim is a social fact?
Durkheim defined social facts as things external to, and coercive of, the actor. These are created from collective forces and do not emanate from the individual (Hadden, p. 104). While they may not seem to be observable, social facts are things, and "are to be studied empirically, not philosophically" (Ritzer, p.
What is a paradigm sociology?
In sociology, a few theories provide broad perspectives that help explain many different aspects of social life, and these are called paradigms. Paradigms are philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them.
Who is the father of sociology?
Auguste ComteAuguste Comte, in full Isidore-Auguste-Marie-François-Xavier Comte, (born January 19, 1798, Montpellier, France—died September 5, 1857, Paris), French philosopher known as the founder of sociology and of positivism. Comte gave the science of sociology its name and established the new subject in a systematic fashion.
Who invented sociology?
Frenchman Auguste CompteThe term sociology was first used by Frenchman Auguste Compte in the 1830s when he proposed a synthetic science uniting all knowledge about human activity. In the academic world, sociology is considered one of the social sciences.
Why do we study sociology?
Studying sociology provides a better understanding of the following: Reasons for social differences, including differences in social behavior. Reasons for the differentials in group opportunities and outcomes. The relevance of social hierarchies and social power in everyday life.
What is figuration quizlet?
What is figuration? the process of simultaneously analyzing the behavior of an individual and the society that shapes that behavior.
What is meant by Habitualization?
Habitualization describes how “any action that is repeated frequently becomes cast into a pattern, which can then be … performed again in the future in the same manner and with the same economical effort” (Berger and Luckmann 1966).
What does function mean in sociology?
Definition of Function (noun) Any consequence of social structures that positively affect society and impacts structural continuity.
What is a paradigm sociology?
In sociology, a few theories provide broad perspectives that help explain many different aspects of social life, and these are called paradigms. Paradigms are philosophical and theoretical frameworks used within a discipline to formulate theories, generalizations, and the experiments performed in support of them.
What does "figurational studies" mean?
What does ‘Figurational Studies’ Signify? ‘ Figurational Sociology’ or ‘Process Sociology’ are terms which became attached to a research tradition strongly influenced by the work of Norbert Elias (1897–1990), author of the modern classic On the Process of Civilisation or The Civilising Process (originally published in German in 1939) ...
What is the pressure towards process reduction?
In sociology, the pressure towards process reduction is seen in taken-for-granted conceptual distinctions between the ‘actor’ and his/her activity, between structures and processes, between agency and structure, between objects and relationships. Above all, at the very centre of problems of sociological thinking, the concepts of the ‘individual’ and of ‘society’ have this same quality of seeming to refer to static and isolated objects. This is a special handicap when studying figurations of interdependent people.
What does "figuration" mean in Van den Bergh's phrase?
Not too much importance should be attached to the word ‘figuration’ in itself, which is used to mean (in Van Benthem van den Bergh’s phrase) ‘networks of interdependent human beings, with shifting asymmetrical power balances’ . Intellectual problems are never solved by the introduction of a single new concept.
What is the definition of process reduction in sociology?
At the heart of Elias’s critique of sociological categories and conceptualisation is his notion of ‘process-reduction’, by which he means the pervasive tendency to reduce processes conceptually to states. It is seen as much in everyday language as in the specialised discourses of the sciences. ‘We say, `The wind is blowing’, as if the wind were separate from its blowing, as if a wind could exist which did not blow’ (Elias, What is Sociology? 1978: 112). This tendency is very widespread in the languages Benjamin Lee Whorf called ‘Standard Average European’, and it was already hardening in antiquity.
What is the central concern of figurational studies?
The central concerns of ‘figurational studies’ might be succinctly described as the connections between power, behaviour, emotions and knowledge in (to a greater or lesser extent) long-term perspective. This typically involves a bridging of the supposed ‘macro-micro’ divide to an extent that remains unusual in the social sciences today.
Is figurational studies a theoretical school?
Members of the figurational studies network do not see themselves as a ‘theoretical school’, but rather as participants in an open-minded and open-ended research tradition.
What is figuration?
Although the study of narrative began in earnest in the middle of the Twentieth Century, the last three or four decades has seen a significant surge in academic interest in narrative. Much of the work on narrative in recent years has seen exciting interdisciplinary cross-fertilisation and the vocabulary of narrative criticism is of such common currency for scholars across the spectrum today in a way that would have been almost unthinkable just a couple of decades ago.
What is the stage in which narrative is restored to the real world of action and suffering?
Refiguration is the stage in which narrative is restored to the real world of action and suffering; it is in the hearer or reader that the mimetic arc of a narrative reaches its conclusion. Ricoeur is insistent that in order for a story to become intelligible there is a requirement for this third stage to complete the cycle of mimesis.
How many mimetic moments does Ricoeur use?
For now, it is enough to say that Ricoeur notes three mimetic moments in the process of interpreting narratives, which he refers to in shorthand as mimesis1, mimesis2 and mimesis3 in order to indicate their distinctive-yet-mutual identity, but describes rather more poetically as prefiguration, configuration and refiguration respectively.⁶
What is prefiguration in storytelling?
Prefiguration has to do with the narrative competence we develop through our exposure to stories. We bring that pre-existing experience and expectation with us to each story we encounter.
What is cognitive narratology?
By way of a definition, cognitive theory ‘investigates the relations between perception, language, knowledge, memory, and the world; cognitive narratology is interested in the roles of stories within the ranges and intersections of these phenomena.’² In particular, cognitive narratology focusses on ‘the mental states, capacities and dispositions that provide grounds for — or, conversely, are grounded in — narrative experiences.’³
What is narrative analysis?
Narrative analysis engages with texts in a different manner from historical-critical approaches. Literary textual studies are not so concerned with the history or redaction of a text, or the settings of the authors or audiences of the text. Rather, they look to engage with the text as a text, in the form we have it.
How do sociological impacts affect humans?
Wherever and whenever they manifest, they shape the conditions within which humans continue to form and exercise figurational patterns — ultimately contributing to their reinforcement and change. Although a full demonstration of the framework’s application is beyond the scope of this paper, below I summarise its advantages and briefly discuss an example that illustrates its utility and value.
How can figuration be understood?
Supported by empirical knowledge about humans and human needs, figurations can be understood as natural products of human social processes. As the ongoing products of decisions and actions people make in relation to the decisions and actions of others, they cannot be controlled by any one individual nor understood via the examination of individual behaviours alone. They can, however, be better understood to help people more effectively orient themselves in the world and understand processes of social change and stability in useful ways. Because the conditions at any given moment are chronologically and otherwise dependent on the accumulated circumstances of past moments, change does exhibit a kind of order discernible in long-term trends. It is the overall direction of these trends — comprised by pockets of activity both in and counter to that direction — which is important to perceive and which a figurational analysis can help explain. [4]
Why did Elias use the term "figuration"?
Elias chose the term figuration to loosen the constraints that coerce us into thinking about individuals and societies as different and antagonistic. Given the fact that humans are social organisms with needs that universally involve the fulfillment of certain functions (the dynamic multi-perspectival purposes people serve for, and have the ability to withhold from, one another) via relations with others. As such, we naturally have valencies — points of openness for connecting with others. Acknowledging these valencies, the concept of figuration conveys the inherent relationality of human life, and refers simultaneously to the patterns of relations of functional interdependence and the patterning itself.
What is relational sociology?
There has been a fair amount of activity geared toward a better accounting of relations and process in sociology. There are, for example, attempts to generate new social ontologies capable of explaining the mutually influential relationship between individuals and society (and their conceptual analogs), and genres like ‘relational sociology,’ which intends to shift the focus of sociological thinking from substance to relations, and social network analysis, meant to help conceptualise social life in terms of structures of relationships.
How does Elias illustrate the contingency of scientific discovery?
Knowledge about the parts gained through chemical analysis was indispensable but auxiliary to the main task of building an integrated model (Elias 2009a: 81). Recognising the contingency of scientific discovery within the context of relations among the sciences provides valuable insight into delays in sociology’s advancement . An empirically verifiable understanding of humans’ inherent sociality, for instance, depended on the development of biological knowledge about social organisms and the roles genetics and evolution play in that. Also crucial have been developments in neuroscience and psychology that help us understand humans’ unique capacities for non-evolutionary change. It is equally true, however, that knowledge about genetics, evolutionary mechanisms, and the human brain is insufficient to explain social phenomena.
What are the consequences of failing to consult and take seriously scientific knowledge as it relates to humans?
A related consequence of failing to consult and take seriously scientific knowledge as it relates to humans is the ongoing compulsion to speculate about the human condition. The difficulties in sociological theorising can, in large part, be attributed to the diverse assumptions at play in sociology about human nature (Allan 2011). While there remain numerous questions to explore and debate, the fact is that we know a great deal about universal human physiological, psychological and social needs and traits. A more thorough integration of that knowledge into sociological thinking could not but contribute to a firmer theoretical foundation.
What is the importance of Elias's theory of the universe?
Of primary importance are the facts that phenomena at different levels exhibit distinct forms of integration and disintegration (e.g., the concepts of life and death apply to biological phenomena but not to purely physical processes), and they display different patterns of order and disorder, kinds of connectedness, and types of structure and function. Consequently, investigating phenomena at one level requires a somewhat different approach than investigating phenomena at another level. The failure to fully acknowledge and incorporate this basic reality into disciplinary pursuits, Elias argues, is at the core of sociology’s difficulties. Among them, is ‘the uncritical and often dogmatic application of categories and concepts highly adequate in relation to problems on the level of matter and energy to other levels of experience and among them to that of social phenomena’ (Elias 1956: 238 ). Lieberson and Lynn observe this problem still, arguing that an exceptionally inappropriate model of natural science, derived from classical physics, is ‘deeply ingrained in sociology and other social sciences’ (2002: 2). Granting that this approach (what they call ‘social physics’)can be a useful part of social scientific inquiry, Clark and York are concerned about the failure of practitioners to at least acknowledge its limitations (2007).
What sports were tested in the study of globalization?
2004). The sports on which these tests were carried out were: baseball, boxing, cricket, gymnastics, motor racing, rugby, and shooting . Figurational studies by Maguire and Waddington deal with sport in general, in Maguire’s case with sport and ‘‘globalization’’ and in Waddington’s with sport, health, and drugs.
What did Elias show about civilizing?
Elias showed how, in the course of a civilizing process, overtly violent struggles tend to be transformed into more peaceful struggles for status, wealth, and power in which, in the most frequent course of events, destructive urges come to be kept for the most part beneath the threshold of consciousness and not translated into overt action. Status struggles of this kind appear to have played a part in the split between the ‘‘soccer’’ and the ‘‘rugby’’ forms of football (Dunning & Sheard 2005 [1979]).
What is the theory of civilizing processes based on?
The theory of civilizing processes is based on a substantial body of data, principally on the changing manners of the secular upper classes – knights, kings, queens, court aristocrats, politicians, and business leaders, but not, for the most part, the higher clergy – between the Middle Ages and modern times.
What did Elias study?
And third, Elias’s study of medicine and philosophy helped to problematize for him aspects of philosophy, contributing to his move to sociology and his original work in what are now known as the ‘‘sociology of the body’’ and the ‘‘sociology of emotions.’’. That Elias was a pioneer of the sociology of sport is perhaps best understood in that context.
What is the civilizing process of modern sports?
An aspect of these overall European ‘‘civilizing processes’’ that is crucial for understanding the development of modern sports has been the increasing control of violence and aggression within societies, though not to anything like the same extent in the relations between them.
What are the five interlocking processes that Elias attributed to?
They included: the formation of state monopolies on violence and taxation; internal pacification under state control; growing social differentiation and the lengthening of interdependency chains; growing equality of power chances between social classes, men and women, and the older and younger generations; and growing wealth.
What are the three aspects of Elias' life?
First, his experience of World War I, in which he served in the Kaiser’s army on the eastern and western fronts, and the rise of the Nazis sensitized Elias to the part played by violence and war in human life.
What is figuration in science?from quod.lib.umich.edu
Figurations are the ongoing result of humans’ reliance on others to provide what they need (whether in visible material form, or in the form of information and meanings) to survive and develop. In modern societies they are far-reaching and highly complex, so much so that investigations of them tend to specialise in particular kinds of bonds (e.g., economic, political, familial and so on). Although we have come to see these as separate realms of activity, rather than different kinds of function in the web of human interdependence, the concept of figuration applies to the study of any of these. Figurational patterns are modified (whether consciously or not) in response to changes in: biophysical conditions; perceptions, knowledge, and other ‘products’; and habitus. Whatever the topic under investigation, the concept encourages the awareness that changes in relations of interdependence imply changes for actual people and the kinds of habitus they develop.
What is figurational thinking?from quod.lib.umich.edu
Beyond the conceptual advantages, figurational thinking illuminates avenues for empirical research. As the patterns of functional bonds between people at a given time, figurations are observable. Those of small groups are more directly comprehensible, whereas larger figurations — with longer and more differentiated chains of interdependence — must be perceived more indirectly, through an analysis of their characteristics. Especially important are differentiation (the numbers and range of functions represented); degree of integration (the number of levels through which functions are coordinated and distributed); power ratios among the bonds (the degrees to which parties are capable of exercising constraint over each other, sometimes by withholding that which others need or want); and rates of change in all of these (Elias 1978: 128–145).
What is habitus in sociology?from quod.lib.umich.edu
In acknowledging humans’ inherent sociality and the foundations of people’s simultaneous stability and dynamism , the need for more satisfactory concepts rises to the fore. More than that, though, sociology’s premises help us make better sense of the alternatives we already have at our disposal: habitus and figurations. More suitable than ‘individual’, habitus refers to one’s socially-conditioned, and thus shared, ‘second nature’. It has a long history, but Elias and Bourdieu similarly employ the term to avoid the implication of static, independent, closed individuals. Figuration, introduced by Elias, refers to empirically observable relations of functional interdependence among people and comprises an important part of the conditions within which habitus develops. I discuss them below in the effort to clarify the terms and how they fit within a general theoretical framework of human social processes.
How do sociological impacts affect humans?from quod.lib.umich.edu
Wherever and whenever they manifest, they shape the conditions within which humans continue to form and exercise figurational patterns — ultimately contributing to their reinforcement and change. Although a full demonstration of the framework’s application is beyond the scope of this paper, below I summarise its advantages and briefly discuss an example that illustrates its utility and value.
How can figuration be understood?from quod.lib.umich.edu
Supported by empirical knowledge about humans and human needs, figurations can be understood as natural products of human social processes. As the ongoing products of decisions and actions people make in relation to the decisions and actions of others, they cannot be controlled by any one individual nor understood via the examination of individual behaviours alone. They can, however, be better understood to help people more effectively orient themselves in the world and understand processes of social change and stability in useful ways. Because the conditions at any given moment are chronologically and otherwise dependent on the accumulated circumstances of past moments, change does exhibit a kind of order discernible in long-term trends. It is the overall direction of these trends — comprised by pockets of activity both in and counter to that direction — which is important to perceive and which a figurational analysis can help explain. [4]
Why did Elias use the term "figuration"?from quod.lib.umich.edu
Elias chose the term figuration to loosen the constraints that coerce us into thinking about individuals and societies as different and antagonistic. Given the fact that humans are social organisms with needs that universally involve the fulfillment of certain functions (the dynamic multi-perspectival purposes people serve for, and have the ability to withhold from, one another) via relations with others. As such, we naturally have valencies — points of openness for connecting with others. Acknowledging these valencies, the concept of figuration conveys the inherent relationality of human life, and refers simultaneously to the patterns of relations of functional interdependence and the patterning itself.
What is the system of schemas that organises our perceptions and generates (in Bourdieu’s?from quod.lib.umich.edu
As biologically social organisms who rely on learning meanings and skills from others to survive, mature and make our way in the world, we develop a system of schemas that organises our perceptions and generates (in Bourdieu’s words) classifiable practices and products — that is, that which we produce and do, including thoughts, perceptions, expressions, actions and ways of doing, perceiving, and classifying. Although expressed uniquely by unique persons, habitus refers to the social (and thus shared) level of this system of schemas.
What is the sociological perspective that Elias pioneered?
The sociological perspective that Elias pioneered became known as figurational or process sociology (due to the emphasis on social forms, structures, attitudes, values, beliefs, and norms, undergoing... This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.
Who developed the concept of figuration?
The concept of figurations was developed by the sociologist Norbert Elias to convey the shifting links between people as the nature and extent of their interdependencies change over time. He attempted to overcome the unnecessary dualisms between structure and agency, individual and society, and subjectivity and objectivity, as well as the more prevalent concepts in sociology such as social systems, which he considered too static and normative to represent the unplanned order of much of social life. The sociological perspective that Elias pioneered became known as figurational or process sociology (due to the emphasis on social forms, structures, attitudes, values, beliefs, and norms, undergoing...
