De civilisatietheorie: kritiek en perspectief

Samenvatting

A literature survey shows that Norbert Elias's Het civilisatieproces ([The Civilizing Process] has often been criticized for being teleological, Eurocentric, misrepresentative of European development itself, and incompatible with current trends, casting doubt on the idea of continuing civilization. Critical analysis reveals that his book may be seen as either focusing on a particular episode of the civilizing process in Western Europe or as a basic contribution to a general theory of social processes. In either case, the central argument is founded in the relationship between changes in individual discipline (behavior) and changes in social organization (power), leading to the tranformation of personality structure (habitus). In this light, the first of the four criticisms is understandable but incorrect, while the latter three criticisms illustrate limitations that can be remedied by additional empirical studies. It is concluded that Elias's theory must be connected with other topics from sociology and social psychology, eg, Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (1974). 34 References. Adapted from the source document.