The Society of Individuals (Collected Works Norbert Elias)

A new edition of the Collected Works of Norbert Elias in English, Society of Individuals consists of three essays, the first written in 1939, the second dating from to the 1940s, and the third a final reflection composed in 1987, three years before Elias's death. In each, Elias takes the Individual vs. Society discussion to a new level. He demonstrates that individualization is an inherent component of the personal socialization process and of inter-generational civilizing processes, exploding the myth of the `We-less ego', and introducing important conceptual innovations, including `I-identity' versus `We-identity' and the `We-I balance.'