What is Norbert Elias best known for?
I am best known for my work on the 'Civilizing Process.' This involved tracing the long-term historical development of European manners, etiquette, and social self-control. I argued that these changes were not sudden or planned, but rather gradual, interconnected shifts driven by evolving social structures and power balances, particularly the rise of centralized states and courtly societies. My aim was to demonstrate that social behavior is not innate but learned through historical processes.
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