Norbert Elias

Norbert Elias was a German sociologist whose work bridged historical sociology, social theory, and psychology. Born in 1897 in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland), Elias studied under Alfred Weber and Karl Mannheim before fleeing the Nazi regime and settling in the United Kingdom. His academic career spanned several decades, though much of his influence emerged posthumously.

Elias is best known for his magnum opus The Civilizing Process (1939), in which he traced the transformation of Western manners and social behavior from the Middle Ages to modernity. By linking changes in everyday conduct to long-term shifts in power structures and state formation, Elias developed what he called a “process sociology,” emphasizing the fluid, interconnected nature of social development over time. His work challenged static and structural models, offering instead a dynamic view of social change and interdependence.

Elias’s theory of figuration — the network of interdependent relationships that bind individuals together — laid the groundwork for analyzing how social behavior is embedded in broader historical and relational contexts. His later works extended these ideas to topics such as sport, violence, knowledge, and aging.

After decades of relative obscurity, Elias gained wide recognition in the 1970s and 1980s, particularly in Europe. His influence now extends across sociology, anthropology, history, and criminology. The concept of “figuration” remains central in contemporary process-oriented approaches to society, and his civilizational thesis continues to provoke debate regarding modernity, control, and social integration.