Elias, ultra-realism and double-binds: Violence in the streets and the state
?Ultra-realism? has become an influential current in criminology, especially in the study of violence and explanations of trends in violent crime. Ultra-realist writers frequently make use of Norbert Elias?s theory of civilizing processes, while also often expressing reservations about his ideas. In...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2022
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| In: |
European journal of criminology
Year: 2022, Volume: 19, Issue: 6, Pages: 1367-1385 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Summary: | ?Ultra-realism? has become an influential current in criminology, especially in the study of violence and explanations of trends in violent crime. Ultra-realist writers frequently make use of Norbert Elias?s theory of civilizing processes, while also often expressing reservations about his ideas. In this article, we argue that ultra-realists tend to make only partial and inaccurate use of Elias?s very extensive writings. Although he himself did not write very much about crime ? and indeed was less concerned with violence per se than with the roots of aggressive impulses and their control ? we place him in the context of the post-war sociology of deviance. We argue in particular that it is far from true that he was blind to political economy, since the state-formation processes are central to his theory. We relate our argument to double-bind processes, violent subcultures, moral panics, populism and recent political developments in Britain. |
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| ISSN: | 1741-2609 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1477370820977889 |