The Importance of Survival Units for Norbert Elias's Figurational Perspective

Kaspersen, Lars Bo; Gabriel, Norman

doi:10.1111/j.1467-954x.2008.00795.x

Cited by 32 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 8 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Size and structure vary: the function remains the same. (1978:138-9) Elias saw the sovereign survival unit as the primary and most fundamental social unit, because such units are not voluntary associations but units into which we are embedded, whether we like it or not (Kaspersen 2008). Although we may think of the state as by and large a fixed entity, the sovereign survival unit is not according to Elias an endogenous entity existing independently in itself.…”

Section: Elias'concept Ofthe Survival Unitmentioning

confidence: 92%

“…The theoretical problem of specifying the boundaries of social units including religion have become difficult after the attempt by Talal Asad and others to deconstruct the category of religion (Lincoln 2006). The problem of boundaries of social groups have however been addressed by Norbert Elias (1974;1978;Kaspersen 2008). In his endeavour to establish a point of departure for his relational sociology, Norbert Elias coined the term survival unit as his primary social unit (2008b).…”

Section: Elias'concept Ofthe Survival Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Relational Approach to the Study of Religious Survival Units

Reeh¹

2013

Method Theory Study Religion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The article departs from the finding that religious texts and actors relate to other religions as for instance The Old Testament relates to Canaanites, the New Testament to Jews, Pagans etc. A consequence of this inter-relatedness of religion is that religion can be studied as a relational phenomenon and that religions are engaged in a more or less intense struggle against other competing religions. Further, using John Searle's notion of collective subjectivity, the article posits that religions are in fact an example of such collective subjectivity (Searle 1995). In this perspective, a religion can be defined and studied as the result of complex set of dynamic relations, where a central tenet of a religion is that it relates to the significant religious other. As such religion is not a stable phenomenon but embedded in a dynamic historical process, which can explain the difficulties scholars have had in defining religion.

show abstract

Section: Elias'concept Ofthe Survival Unitmentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Elias'concept Ofthe Survival Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Relational Approach to the Study of Religious Survival Units

Reeh¹

2013

Method Theory Study Religion

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…a non-group). In Elias' thinking, the presence and pressure of the other is necessary if the unit is to hold together (Kaspersen 2008, Kaspersen 2013).…”

Section: A Relational Approach To the Study Of Religionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inter-religious Relations as a New Foundation for Comparative Religion

Reeh

2020

Method Theory Study Relig.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article argues that the problems that comparative religion encountered in the 1980s and onward did not arise from the comparative project as such, but rather from the fact that comparative religion was founded on an analytical strategy that relied on defining religion. In order to overcome these problems and critique of Jonathan Z. Smith, Talal Asad and others, it is proposed that the comparative study of religion could be re-established on the basis of a different analytical strategy and more specifically on the basis of a relational perspective, in which the crucial point of departure is the finding that religions in many periods and cultural settings seem to constitute themselves in relation to at least one significant other religion. In periods and cultural settings, where religions relate to each other, we do in fact have a commonality between all religions, namely the inter-religious relation. This relation can ensure that we are not comparing things that have nothing in common. If the inter-religious relation is the point of departure, the comparative study of religion can be transformed in such a way that it is not overturned by the social constructionism or post-modernism of J. Z. Smith, Talal Asad and others.

show abstract

“…Herkes böyle yapılar içerisinde doğduğu için, bu hayatta kalma birimleri önceliğe sahip figürasyonlardır. Figürasyonel sosyolojinin önemli kavramlarından olan hayatı idame birimi, kişiye güvenlik, yiyecek, barınak gibi yaşam için maddi unsurları sağlayan özel bir figürasyon biçimidir (Kaspersen ve Gabriel, 2008).…”

Section: 5unclassified

Norbert Elias ve Figürasyonel Sosyoloji'ye Giriş

Kınlı¹

2020

TurkishStudies

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

is a well known sociologist, as the author of the Civilizing Process, which is considered as one of the classics of the literature on the modernization process. Elias's contribution to sociological theory is not limited solely to the modernization studies. The sociology of Norbert Elias, which deals with various subjects such as political institutions, economic history, eating methods, football, music, etc., with an interdisciplinary methodology, is quite unique and far beyond the usual limits of sociology. The main aim of this article is to introduce Norbert Elias' sociology through his concepts, methods and principles, which are known as figurational sociology. The concept of figuration, which has been widely used by Elias since the 1960s, points out the nature and the extent of the interdependencies that change constantly over time. According to Elias, individuals cannot be imagined without their societies and societies without their individuals. Defined by networks of small groups and large societies by people who are interdependent to each other, figurations are characterized as constantly changing and fluid balance of power. Elias developed the concept of figuration in order to eliminate the accepted dualist approaches in sociology such as structure / actor, individual / society, subjectivity / objectivity, and to show that individuals are always connected with each other through direct or indirect ways. The main aim of figurational sociology is to demonstrate the functional interdependence of people who come together at a multi-layered level during the unplanned social processes that they create with each other.

show abstract

The Importance of Survival Units for Norbert Elias's Figurational Perspective

Cited by 32 publications

References 8 publications

A Relational Approach to the Study of Religious Survival Units

A Relational Approach to the Study of Religious Survival Units

Inter-religious Relations as a New Foundation for Comparative Religion

Norbert Elias ve Figürasyonel Sosyoloji'ye Giriş

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About