Podcast ‘Thinking with Elias’

What does it mean to think with Norbert Elias? What does Eliasian, ‘figurational’ or ‘process’ sociology allow us to see that we wouldn’t have seen otherwise? What new questions does it suggest? In the ‘Thinking with Elias’ podcast series, social scientists from universities around the world discuss the contribution of the work of Norbert Elias and the conceptual lens that it provides when analyzing contemporary societies. The podcast has been prepared as a learning module for the online Ph.D. workshop ‘Thinking with Elias: Norbert Elias and Social Research’ held in June 2021, and is intended for advanced scholars already familiar with Elias’s approach to sociology. Still, the episodes can be used as an entry point for anyone not yet familiar with the work of Elias, and they can be explored by the listeners independently.

Each episode features a conversation with acclaimed Eliasian scholars who reflect on their understanding of core theoretical texts, as well as personal experience of doing research equipped with an Eliasian perspective. The episodes come with the lists of recommended readings assigned by the podcast production team. Listeners can turn to the readings to develop their understanding of Eliasian sociology further.

The podcast is curated by Giselinde Kuipers, Robert van Krieken, Jason Hughes, Stephen Mennell, Anastasiya Halauniova, and Robert Rode. The episodes feature conversations with Nina Baur, Marta Bucholc, Andreas Hepp, Helmut Kuzmics, Aurélie Lacassagne, André Saramago, and others.

Financial support for the podcast has been provided by the European Center for the Study of Culture and Inequality (EUCCI) and Norbert Elias Foundation (NEF).

Listen to the podcast on Spotify.