Abstract
Figurational sociology is so often said to distance itself from the political issues of the day. Whilst this is certainly true with regards to the present day, it in no way follows that figurational sociology seeks to distance itself from politics as such. On the contrary, as will be shown within this paper, politics is and always has been a central concern for figurational sociologists. This political concern, however, is an exclusively long term concern; figurational sociology purposively postpones present political engagement for the sake of developing a sufficiently detached sociology that would eventually facilitate in the delivery of effective practical and political measures. This paper discusses the stakes involved in, as well as the reasoning behind, the assignment of such a place to politics. It gestures towards two distinct and separate concepts of social control that exist within figurational sociology and then proceeds to offer a critical consideration of the consequences that can be derived from any temporal demarcation of the political done on their basis. The paper ultimately suggests that figurational sociology's position on politics raises a series of as yet unanswered questions, questions which can no longer remain unanswered by the contemporary figurational sociologist.
Highlights
Two of sociology’s characteristic concerns find immensely sophisticated expression and expansion within the work of Norbert Elias and his followers: figurational/ process sociologists
Secondly: a concern for the appropriate place that is to be given to sociological investigation with respect to social policy
This paper offers a close but critical consideration of the manner in which figurational sociologists have responded to these two concerns
Summary
Two of sociology’s characteristic concerns find immensely sophisticated expression and expansion within the work of Norbert Elias and his followers: figurational/ process sociologists. Elias’ ‘autonomous’ values are those which access, and to a large extent structure, the object(s) with which any field of study concerns itself (the ‘value’ of achieving demonstrable observations in the case of the human and natural sciences or the ‘value’ of explaining the evolution of webs of human figurations in the case of sociology, for example) This is why Goudsblom argues (1977b: 81/1986: 333) that throughout his work, Elias is evaluating – on the basis that the highest professional value for a sociologist is to provide more adequate knowledge of the social world, knowledge which will have the practical significance that it will enable us to act more realistically than we do today. As I have already said, something has to give way
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