How did Norbert Elias study social change?
My method, which I termed 'process sociology,' involved examining long-term historical developments. I believed that to understand present social phenomena, we must look at their historical trajectories. This meant delving into historical documents – diaries, etiquette books, legal codes – to reconstruct the gradual shifts in human sensibilities and social conduct. I focused on the interconnectedness of psychological and societal changes, the 'psychogenesis' and 'sociogenesis' of human behavior.
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