Elias and Punishment Flashcards
(15 cards)
How and what methods did Elias use to research?
mixed historical analysis and sociological approaches
used diaries, etiquette manuals, art etc
What does Elias mean by the “civilizing process”?
A long-term transformation of how society became more civilised
What did Elias suggest lead to civilisation
the growth of manners
behaviours became privatised e.g. bodily functions, illness + death, violence
previously public acts were now shameful in public
What did manners develop?
Began with the elites, separated themselves from the lower classes
However, social mobility blurred classes and therefore lower social class also developed manners
Who developed the ideas of ‘courtesy’?
Pinker
How did courtesy develop?
Before: violence was used in order to gain power
After: the courts became a central hub for power and therefore people had to learn how to behave appropriately, speak with respect and control their emotions
How did society change to support the civilizing process?
Growth in trade and economy and social mobility reinforced norms of politeness and reduced violence.
What was Spierenburg’s contribution to Elias’ theory?
He applied Elias’ theory to punishment
What did Spierenburg note about harsh punishment?
Torture and public executions became less socially acceptable due to the ‘spectacle of suffering’
What is the “Spectacle of Suffering”?
Public corporal and capital punishment were once celebrated by crowds
Then, the elite become uncomfortable watching
lead to the sanitisation of punishment
What is the sanitisation of punishment?
-punishment became more humanised- people couldn’t stomach it any longer
When was the last public hanging?
1868
What is meant by the ‘ambivalence of civilized punishment’?
Violence persists in more hidden and ‘acceptable’ forms
Went from: physical to mental suffering, public to private (e.g. in prison), and ‘acceptable methods’ (e.g. countries that still have capital punishment used versions deemed more humane like lethal injection
What are ‘decivilizing trends’ identified in modern society?
- More violent online content (lead to desentitisation)
- Growing anti-social behaviour
- Culture wars and ‘echo-chambers’ (debates less civilised, more angry)
- Rise of nationalism and neoliberalism
What did Pratt suggest?
the idea of the ‘punitive turn’
- argues a reappearance of emotive, harsher penalties
e.g. mass incarceration, public shaming (mug shots, chain gangs)
