Violence and Civilization: an Introduction to the Work of Norbert Elias

Description

Cover; Title Page; Copyright; Contents; Acknowledgements; 1 Introduction; 2 Civilization, Habitus and Civilizing Processes; The development of civilization as a concept; Changes in social and individual habitus; Socialization, aggression and shame; 3 Violence, Habitus and State Formation; Violence monopolies and pacification; Linearity, development and evolution; On the concepts of violence and civilization; 4 Identity, Violence and Process Models; Interdependence, social bonds and the we-I balance; Established-outsider relations; Criteria of civilizing and decivilizing processes.;This book provides an introduction to the work of Norbert Elias. It is the first systematic appraisal of two central themes of his thought - violence and civilization. Although Elias is best known for his theory of civilizing processes, this study highlights the crucial importance of the concept of decivilizing processes. Fletcher argues that while Elias did not develop a theory of decivilizing processes, such a theory is logically implied in his perspective and is highly pertinent to an understanding of the most violent episodes of twentieth-century history, such as the Nazi genocides. Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Acknowledgements 1 Introduction 2 Civilization, Habitus and Civilizing Processes The development of civilization as a concept Changes in social and individual habitus Socialization, aggression and shame 3 Violence, Habitus and State Formation Violence monopolies and pacification Linearity, development and evolution On the concepts of violence and civilization 4 Identity, Violence and Process Models Interdependence, social bonds and the we-I balance Established-outsider relations Criteria of civilizing and decivilizing processes. 5 Social Habitus and Civilizing Processes in EnglandState formation and pacification Public opinion and national ideals Sport and violence: the example of foxhunting 6 Nationalism and Decivilizing Processes in Germany State formation and national identification Violence in the imperial establishment Violence in the Weimar Republic 7 Genocide and Decivilizing Processes in Germany National ideals and the rise of the Nazis Mass murder and national we-identity Civilization, 'modernity' and decivilizing processes 8 Elias on Violence, Civilization and Decivilization Notes References.