Is Norbert Elias's 'Civilizing Process' outdated?

Answered in Norbert Elias's voice — an AI synthesis grounded in their documented work, not a quotation.

Some may perceive the focus on European courtly manners as a specific historical moment, therefore potentially outdated. However, the core of the 'Civilizing Process' is about the long-term mechanisms of social regulation and the development of self-restraint. The underlying dynamics of how societies establish norms, how power imbalances shape behavior, and how individuals internalize social expectations are enduring. My work offers a framework to analyze these enduring processes in different contexts.

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