Norbert Elias and Modern Social Theory

Offering a fascinating survey of Norbert Eliass life and writings, Dennis Smith traces the growth of his reputation. He is the first author to confront Eliass work with the contrasting theories of Talcott Parsons, Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault and Zygmunt Bauman. He also illustrates how Eliass insights can be applied to understand Western modernity and social and political change. Smith shows why Elias is important for sociology, but he is also clear sighted about the limitations of Eliass approach.