Norbert Elias has been described as a great sociologist and over recent years there has been a steady upsurge of interest in his work. Yet despite the fact that he was active for nearly sixty years from the 1920s to the 1960s it was only in the 1980s that English translations of his works became widely available and the importance of his contribution to the sociological endeavour was fully recognised in the English speaking world. This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the key aspects of Elias's work and then applies an Eliasian approach to key topics in contemporary sociology such as race, class, gender, religion, epistemology and nationalism. The editors have brought together a distinguished group of international sociologists and this book will not only change the course of Elias studies but be a valuable resource for both students and scholars alike.

Embracing the reality of biophysical limits to growth, this volume uses the technical tools from ecological economics to recast the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as Ecological Livelihood Goals - policy agendas and trajectories that seek to reconcile the social and spatial mobility and liberty of individuals, with both material security and ecological integrity. Since the 1970s, mainstream approaches to sustainable development have sought to reconcile ecological constraints with modernization through much vaunted and seldom demonstrated strategies of 'decoupling' and 'dematerialization'. In this context, the UN SDGs have become the orchestrating drivers of sustainability governance. However, biophysical limits are not so easily sidestepped. Building on an ecological- economic critique of mainstream economics and a historical- sociological understanding of state formation, this book explores the implications of ecological limits for modern progressive politics. Each chapter outlines leverage points for municipal engagement in local and regional contexts. Systems theory and community development perspectives are used to explore under- appreciated avenues for the kind of social and cultural change that would be necessary for any accommodation between modernity and ecological limits. Drawing on ideas from H.T. Odum, Herman Daly, Zigmunt Bauman, and many others, this book provides guiding research for a convergence between North and South that is bottom-up, household-centred, and predicated on a re- emerging domain of Livelihood. In each chapter, the authors provide recommendations for reconfiguring the UN's SDGs as Ecological Livelihood Goals - a framework for sustainable development in an era of limits. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of ecological economics, socio- ecological systems, political economy, international and community development, global governance, and sustainable development.

This book aims to account for the reception, treatment and sometimes, eventual deportation, of asylum seekers in Ireland, by analysing how they are framed and dealt with by the Irish state. Both historically and theoretically grounded, it will discuss contemporary immigration policies and issues in light of the overall social, historical, and economic development of Irish society and state immigration policy. State Power and Asylum Seekers in Ireland will be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of historical sociology, sociological theory and social policy, with a focus on discourses of patterns of European migration, the changing role and function of the state and its policies, and the psycho-social experience of asylum seekers.

This book aims to account for the reception, treatment and sometimes, eventual deportation, of asylum seekers in Ireland, by analysing how they are framed and dealt with by the Irish state. Both historically and theoretically grounded, it will discuss contemporary immigration policies and issues in light of the overall social, historical, and economic development of Irish society and state immigration policy. State Power and Asylum Seekers in Ireland will be of interest to scholars and students in the fields of historical sociology, sociological theory and social policy, with a focus on discourses of patterns of European migration, the changing role and function of the state and its policies, and the psycho-social experience of asylum seekers.

Exploring the Tomato engages with an apparently simple fruit in order to reveal major changes to society and economy. It treats the tomato as an object of fascination and as a probe into major historical changes in twentieth century capitalism. From first domestication to genetic modification, from Aztec salsa to supermarket pizza, the tomato has been continually transformed in the ways it has been produced, exchanged and consumed. This book explores what brings about a variety that is at once biological, historical and socio-economic. A conceptual framework of 'instituted economic process' demonstrates how different tomato forms are an expression of dynamic processes in capitalist economies and societies during the twentieth century. As both an early pioneer in mass production and a contemporary contributor to the creation of global cuisines, the tomato has been subject to intense innovation. Computerised total ecologies under glass, producing fresh tomatoes of all shapes, colours and sizes, compete with sun and southern climates across the world. To enter the variety of tomato worlds is to discover the variety of capitalism. Written in an accessible style, this book makes a major contribution to the emerging field of economic sociology and to our understanding of the innovation process. It should be read by anyone concerned with social science, particularly economists and sociologists, as well as those interested in food and the history of food.

Planetary Health - the idea that human health and the health of the environment are inextricably linked - encourages the preservation and sustainability of natural systems for the benefit of human health. Drawing from disciplines such as public health, environmental science, evolutionary anthropology, welfare economics, geography, policy and organizational theory, it addresses the challenges of the modern world, where human health and well-being is threatened by increasing pollution and climate change. A comprehensive publication covering key concepts in this emerging field, Planetary Health reviews ideas and approaches to the subject such as natural capital, ecological resilience, evolutionary biology, One Earth and transhumanism. It also sets out through case study chapters the main links between human health and environmental change, covering: - Climate change, land use and waterborne infectious diseases. - Sanitation, clean energy and fertilizer use. - Trees, well-being and urban greening. - Livestock, antibiotics and greenhouse gas emissions. Providing an extensive overview of key theories and literature for academics and practitioners who are new to the field, this engaging and informative read also offers an important resource for students of a diverse range of subjects, including environmental sciences, animal sciences, geography and health.

"Involvement and Detachment" is much more than a discussion of 'objectivity' in the social sciences. It is Elias' major exposition of his sociological theory of the growth of knowledge and the sciences as an aspect of overall human social development. The essay 'The fishermen in the maelstrom' takes its title from a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, and is used to illustrate how fears have to be overcome in order for 'reality-adequate' knowledge - necessary to tackle the dangers from which the fears arise - to accumulate. Discussions of rising dangers in international relations show how far the theory of civilising process is from being a model of unilinear 'progress'. Two fragments on 'The great evolution' discuss the long-term development of the various levels of scientific knowledge - physical, biological and social. Originally written in English, it includes various passages omitted from the previous edition.

Norbert Elias has been described as a great sociologist and over recent years there has been a steady upsurge of interest in his work. Yet despite the fact that he was active for nearly sixty years from the 1920s to the 1960s it was only in the 1980s that English translations of his works became widely available and the importance of his contribution to the sociological endeavour was fully recognised in the English speaking world. This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the key aspects of Elias's work and then applies an Eliasian approach to key topics in contemporary sociology such as race, class, gender, religion, epistemology and nationalism. The editors have brought together a distinguished group of international sociologists and this book will not only change the course of Elias studies but be a valuable resource for both students and scholars alike.

Adding to a growing body of knowledge about how the social-ecological dynamics of the Anthropocene affect human health, this collection presents strategies that both address core challenges, including climate change, stagnating economic growth, and rising socio-political instability, and offers novel frameworks for living well on a finite planet. Rather than directing readers to more sustainable ways to structure health systems, Health in the Anthropocene navigates the transition toward social-ecological systems that can support long-term human and environmental health, which requires broad shifts in thought and action, not only in formal health-related fields, but in our economic models, agriculture and food systems, ontologies, and ethics. Arguing that population health will largely be decided at the intersection of experimental social innovations and appropriate technologies, this volume calls readers to turn their attention toward social movements, practices, and ways of living that build resilience for an era of systemic change. Drawing on diverse disciplines and methodologies from fields including anthropology, ecological economics, sociology, and public health, Health in the Anthropocene maps out alternative pathways that have the potential to sustain human wellbeing and ecological integrity over the long term.

Adding to a growing body of knowledge about how the social-ecological dynamics of the Anthropocene affect human health, this collection presents strategies that both address core challenges, including climate change, stagnating economic growth, and rising socio-political instability, and offers novel frameworks for living well on a finite planet. Rather than directing readers to more sustainable ways to structure health systems, Health in the Anthropocene navigates the transition toward social-ecological systems that can support long-term human and environmental health, which requires broad shifts in thought and action, not only in formal health-related fields, but in our economic models, agriculture and food systems, ontologies, and ethics. Arguing that population health will largely be decided at the intersection of experimental social innovations and appropriate technologies, this volume calls readers to turn their attention toward social movements, practices, and ways of living that build resilience for an era of systemic change. Drawing on diverse disciplines and methodologies from fields including anthropology, ecological economics, sociology, and public health, Health in the Anthropocene maps out alternative pathways that have the potential to sustain human wellbeing and ecological integrity over the long term.