| Abstrakt: |
The purpose of this article is to highlight the strengths of conceptualisation of norms and power in figurational sociology and to identify some of its limitations. The founder of figurational sociology Norbert Elias, along with his theory of the civilizing process, created a number of middle-range concepts, which can be both theoretically interpreted and used in empirical research. His central concept was figuration, the bounded network of interdependent actors with the shifting power balance. Elias understood norms or rules as conventions, or prescriptions, which serve the purpose of coordination of interdependencies but at the same time closely tied to the distribution of power among the actors. Concepts such as formalisation and informalisation, duality of norms, established and outsiders make possible empirically grounded analysis of transformation of norms and their social functions. Research conducted in figurational perspective has contributed to the advance of sociological understanding of norms and power. At the same time in figurational sociology there is lack of recognition of autonomy and impact of ideological power, for instance, that religious or metaphysical doctrines can bring about changes in the norms of collectivities and habitus of the individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
