1st Edition

Norbert Elias and the Analysis of History and Sport Systematizing Figurational Sociology

By Joannes Van Gestel Copyright 2018
    170 Pages 23 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    170 Pages 23 B/W Illustrations
    by Routledge

    In times when the social sciences have become increasingly fragmented and more focused on ‘the pieces of the puzzle’, the puzzle, as a topic in its own right, has slowly been moved towards the background. Nonetheless, as humanity becomes ever more globalized, there is a greater need for in-depth discussion on the theory behind the direction of humanity in history and the interrelationships between the different areas in which humans associate, including that of leisure and sport.

    At its heart, Norbert Elias and the Analysis of History and Sport explains both the course of history and how the roles that leisure and sport have occupied in it should be investigated. Exploring this from Norbert Elias’ figurational (or process sociological) standpoint, the book offers a unique perspective as Van Gestel approaches the theoretical concepts and ideas by systematizing the views of the iconic scholar and offers new insights into his central theory. Furthermore, drawing upon theoretical principles that are universal to humans rather than relative to a case study, Van Gestel offers an applicable guideline which explains phenomena beyond specific cultures or circumstances that have so far been a customary practice by process sociologists.

    Norbert Elias and the Analysis of History and Sport is a valuable title which will appeal to postgraduate students and scholars interested in fields such as social studies, leisure and sport studies, and history.

    List of figures

    Acknowledgements

    Contents of this book

    Sociology as a relatively autonomous discipline

    Understanding Elias

    The uncertainty of the social scientist

    Science and knowledge

    The complexity and simplicity of reductionism

    Sport and sportization

    Basic levels of integration – natural and physical constraints

    Natural constraints

    Physical constraints

    Evolution

    Human biological characteristics

    The nervous system

    Psychological constraints

    Components of the psychological make-up

    Innate functions

    Innate amoral functions

    Learned functions

    Learned drive-generating functions

    Moral functions

    Learned drive-resolution functions

    ‘Polymorphous’ functions

    Memory

    Affection

    Social constraints

    Power and figurations

    On power and games

    Figurations

    Types of human social bonds

    Economic bonds

    Political bonds

    Affective bonds

    On the (non)existence of cognitive bonds

    Types of social enclaves

    The commingling of constraints and the tasks of the sociologist

    The variables of the sociologist

    On problems with the artificial macro-meso-micro categorization

    Defining identities and social units

    The direction of social processes

    Blind social processes

    (un)Intended actions and consequences

    On the civilizing directions of history

    In The Civilizing Process

    Towards a theory of civilizing, decivilizing and informalizing processes

    On the extent of civilizing processes

    The principles of civilizing processes

    The Spare time spectrum and the need for deroutinization

    Process sociology and (de)routinization in social enclaves

    The process of deroutinization

    The investigation of historical processes in sport and leisure

    Sportization

    The philosopher’s approach

    The conventional approach of the sociologist

    The creation of an optimal tension balance in sport

    Towards a reorientation of the concept of sportization

    References

    Subject and author index

    Biography

    Joannes Van Gestel is a research fellow at the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Antwerp, Belgium.