Shaun Wilson/1601608 Word Count- 1999

SOC301- Contempory Social Theory

Lecturer: Christos Memos

Giving historical examples, critically discuss Eliass model of the civilizing

process
Norbert Elias (1897-1990) was a prominent sociologist of the 20th century. He wrote perhaps
his most prominent book The civilizing process originally in 1939, but due to the rise of the
Nazi regime and the onset of the second world war, his works were left largely undiscovered
until 1969 when Elias re-published his works translated into English. Eliass book The
Civilizing Process attempts to explain how societies became civilized during the middle
ages. The first paragraph of this essay will discuss Elias civilizing process and de-civilizing
process and provide a critical analysis of those specific concepts at the end of each
paragraph. Secondly, this essay will discuss the importance the French aristocracy and how
they influenced the civilization process throughout Europe. Finally, the final paragraph will
discuss the rationalization process and how the monopolization of the state effects the
division of labour within society. This essay attempts to critically analyse Eliass works
throughout rather than in a concluding paragraph.

In his book The civilizing process, Elias states that civilization can refer to numerous social
facts, such as technology and the development of manners (Elias,1994. Pg. 5). Elias argues
the process of civilizing is not a thing but rather a developmental process by which
societies becomes more civilized than the previous generations (Mennell, 1996. Pg. 105). In
the first volume Elias details the changes in mannerisms and feelings in western European
bourgeois societies spanning from the middle ages to the Victorian era. It is important to
note that Elias specifically states that civilization means different things in different
European nations. He argues that there are differences between the civilizing processes that
went on between France, Britain and Germany (Elias, 1994. Pg. 6). For example, in Britain
and France civilization included political or economic and social factors, whilst in Germany it
focused on intellectual, artistic and religious factors (Elias, 1994. Pg. 6). The second volume
is a study on state formation across Europe and looks at the complexity of the changing
structures and mannerisms in those societies (Mennell, 1996. Pg. 103,). Elias argues that
modern sociologists have not paid enough attention to the civilizing of warrior societies
from the pre-middle ages and the process of social development they underwent. Thus,
Elias, in the civilizing process attempts to detail the stages by which these societies turned
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SOC301- Contempory Social Theory
Lecturer: Christos Memos
into courtiers by the end of the middle ages (Mennell, 1996. Pg. 103). In his works Elias
argues that these warrior like societies became civilized through the simultaneous processes
of sociogenesis and psychogenesis. During this process children are socialized into learning
their history and different standards of behaviour that are central to their society (Mennell,
1996. Pg. 105). Elias further argues that during the process of civilization it is possible to link
this long-term process to the eventual changes in behavioural norms within a society. Elias
uses the example of table manners to aid us in our understanding of the civilized process. In
the middle ages, Elias states that there was only one rule to dinner table etiquette, Do not
clean your teeth with your knife. As the time went on the bourgeois class refined these
traits, adding new rules about which way your knife should face and eventually how to use a
fork, whilst the lower classes adopted these mannerisms (Elias, 2015. Pg. 173). Elias also
believes that there is a de-civilizing process, which occurs when there is a social change in
society that reverts to the insecurities and violence of a pre-civilized state. To further show
his point, Elias uses the example of the Nazi state and the holocaust as an example of what a
decivilized state looks like, he argues that the German state was weak and thus failed at
civilizing the German people, which allowed then to revert to barbaric mannerisms (Swaan,
2001. Pg. 267).

Eliass work can however be critiqued for being Eurocentric as he only focuses on the
development of European cultures. Thus, Elias could be accused of orientalism, as his
omission of Asian cultures adheres to the notion that they are backward and dirty whilst
being compared to European standards. In the book The course of human history:
Civilization and social process by Goudsblom, Jones and Mennell (1996), argue that Europe
was not the first nor only continent to have gone through a civilizing process this early in
history. Asian countries, such as China, Japan and India, went through their own civilizing
process during the middle ages. They argue, for example, the Japanese tradition of Bushido
or the samurai ethic worked in a similar fashion to Europes civilizing process (Mennell,
1996. Pg. 124). This tradition saw Japanese societies mirror social and behavioural changes,
centred around the ideals of honour, in a similar fashion to Europe. In addition to the
argument they also use the example of the Chinese chopstick. They argued that segments of
Chinese society had their own civilizing process due to the rise of the use of chopsticks,
mirroring the Europeans use of cutlery (Mennell, 1996, 124). Elias would argue that he does
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SOC301- Contempory Social Theory
Lecturer: Christos Memos
acknowledge Asian cultures as he references the Chinese use of chopsticks as a form of
civilized behaviour in an interview with Stanislas Fontaine in his book The processes of
civilization revisited (1974) He references how the table knife was abandoned in china. This
could possibly be linked to some violent dispute. It can then be argued that the banning of
the knife no-doubt lead to the official use of chopsticks, a far more civilized method of
eating food (Elias, 2015. Pg. 173). Swaan (2001), However, critiques Eliass beliefs on the de-
civilizing process. He argues that the holocaust was not the result of a de-civilized state, but
rather the result of what happens when a state has too much power and is left without
opposition from the people (Swaan, 2001. Pg. 267)

Through studying the changes in mannerisms of 16th to 19th century France and how this
enabled the development of the French state today, Elias argues that during this period
sociogenesis occurred within the French society, as the mannerisms of the French bourgeois
were adopted by the middle classes. Such mannerisms which were once reserved for the
French aristocracy were soon standardized across other social classes. This was caused by
increased social interdependencies that raged throughout social groups, as they wanted to
avoid the sense of shame and disgust that occurred whilst they were in the presence of the
bourgeois. This was an unintended social dynamic that directly influenced the psychological
disposition of the lower classes through the process of psychogenesis, resulting in the urge
to behave correctly within society thus establishing a sense of self-control within the
individuals consciousness (Elias, 1994. Pg. 368). In The civilizing process Elias discusses the
effect the French aristocracy had on the European courts. During the middle ages, Elias
argues that, the civilizing process was related to the hierarchical social orders of the time,
the king, the church, the bourgeois and the courts (Elias, 1994. Pg. 188). The French courts
affected social change by influencing the codes of conduct, manners, tastes and languages
that spread across the European courts. (Elias, 1994. Pg. 189) By the end of the middle ages,
Elias argues, the courts amalgamated their mannerisms into one courtly aristocracy that
spread across western Europe (Elias, 1994. Pg. 189.) Canadian sociologist Samuel Clark
(1919 2003) provides further proof of the importance of the French aristocracy and how
they influenced European civilization in his book State and Status: The rise of the state and
aristocratic power in western Europe. Clark states that the French were so prominent that
their influence was felt across Europe, for example King Charles the 2nd, whom grew up in
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SOC301- Contempory Social Theory
Lecturer: Christos Memos
France, styled his court around French styles of furniture, music and comportment (Clark,
1995. Pg. 352). The Frenchs influence was further felt across Europe as there was official
magazines, published by the French courts, that were sent across Europe to show off their
prestige and magnificence (Clark, 1995. Pg. 353).

As part of the civilizing process, Elias argues that the formation of the modern state has a
close relationship with the running of society. Elais argues that the formation of the state is
closely tied up to the monopolization of violence and taxation. Elias argues that society is
characterized by levels of monopolization that are wielded by the central powers to keep
the lowers classes at bay. (Elias, 1994. Pg. 268) Elias states that the use of military weapons
and the taxation of property are used to keep power in the hands of the state (Elias, 1994.
Pg. 268). The military and the taxation companies keep the other afloat, unknowingly, thus
if one disappears then they both do (Elias, 1994. Pg. 268). Elias argues that the monopolized
state will treat law abiding citizens fairly and equally whilst treating those who go against
the state as villains whom are identified and labelled and attacked, resulting in the wider
population hating them (Swann, 2001. Pg. 268). Elias also argues that the division of labour
is directly related to the monopolized power structures in society. He states that the more
comprehensive a monopoly position becomes the more highly developed its division of
labour (Elias, 1994. Pg. 271). Elias goes onto argue that individuals did not simply just
become civilized overnight, rather they did this over a long period of rationalization (Elias,
1994. Pg. 365) This period of rationalization was an unplanned occurrence which saw the
more animalistic of basic human activities, such as urinating and other biological functions
become hidden and more private. What occurred was people imposing onto themselves a
form of self-control. Elias argues that this was a long-term process taking place over many
centuries and as not simply the case of each proceeding generation becoming more
rational than the previous (Elias, 1994. Pg. 365). Swann (2001) critiques Elias by arguing
that his theory on state formation is false, in the sense that there will always be a
marginalized group within society that the state will villainize and target (Swann, 2001. Pg.
268). The writer agrees with Swaans critique as, for example, today in the United states of
America people of colour, as well as the LGBTQ+ community, are treated with distrust and
disrespect because of their skin colour and sexual orientations. There have been numerous
examples of state violence in the form of police brutality in the United States, which has
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SOC301- Contempory Social Theory
Lecturer: Christos Memos
resulted in the deaths of many POCs (People of Colour). In 2016 the Guardian published a
database of the number of deaths by police that took place in the US in 2015 and 2016.
With well over 2000 deaths the numbers strongly suggest that Native Americans and POCs
are targeted by the state (Guardian, 2016). This is evidence enough to show that Elias was
wrong in arguing that the state would treat everyone equally and shows that state violence
is rife and prevalent in modern society.

In conclusion, Norbert Eliass book, the civilizing process, has been highly influential to
modern sociology. The concepts that he discusses have much relevance today, especially
comments on the monopolization of the state. This can be seen with the rise of food banks,
growing conflicts in the middle east and with rampant police brutality in the United states of
America. This essay has attempted to critically analyse Norbert Eliass The civilizing process
whilst covering the main features of his works. The civilizing process has many implications
for modern society and can aid modern sociologists in attempting to understand the vast
social phenomenon that is occurring in society today. The civilizing process is an excellent
example in attempting to explain how society has developed, thus the writer only has a few
critiques of his works, especially regarding Eliass orientalism and thoughts on the state
treating everyone equally, however Elias cannot be blamed for omitting some of these
factors as many of these critiques come from modern day examples which Elias cannot, for
obvious reasons, comment on.

Bibliography:

Clark, S., 1995. State and status: The rise of the state and aristocratic power in western
Europe. McGill-Queens university press: Montreal. Pg. 352 253. Available at :
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[Date accessed: 20th Oct 2017]
Shaun Wilson/1601608 Word Count- 1999
SOC301- Contempory Social Theory
Lecturer: Christos Memos
Elias, N., 2013. On the process of civilization revisited. In interviews and autobiographical
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Elias, N., 2000. The Civilizing Process: Sociogenic and Psychogenic Investigations. Revised
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Goudsblom, J. and Jones, D.M. and Mennell, S., 2015. The course of human history:
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Available at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/abertay/reader.action?docID=1982484

[Date Accessed, 16th Oct 2017]

Swaine, J. and Laughland, O. and Larty, J. and McCarthy C., 2016. The Counted: People killed
by police in the US. The Guardian [online] Database. Available at:
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killings-us-database [Date accessed: 21st Oct 2017]

Swann, A.D., 2001. Dyscivilization, mass extermination and the state. Amsterdam School of
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