Handing over the torch: intergenerational processes in figurational sociology

This collection of essays is designed to show how the various concepts of Norbert Elias's writings fit together in an overall vision for sociology, and how this has come to inspire the wide-ranging and interdisciplinary research tradition of 'figurational' sociology. In this introduction, we focus on a somewhat neglected aspect of Elias's work, the concept of generation. We explore his role as a teacher, passing the torch to a first generation of scholars, mainly in Europe, examining his generosity to younger colleagues as well as some of his well-known foibles. We then trace his influence in the emergence of a second generation that is more far-flung, both internationally and across disciplines.