It turns out that there are now some Ad Hoc sessions available to RC20 in Barcelona 5-8 September, so it would be possible to include some Figurational Sociology papers, if not within a distinct session, then at least together with other RC20 (Comparative Sociology) papers.
So, if anyone would like to present a paper at the ISA Forum in Barcelona, as well as or instead of the IIS sessions in Budapest, please let Stephen or myself know as soon as possible (sending a title and abstract), and we’ll see if you can be included in the Barcelona programme. If there are enough takers, it could function as the first meeting of the Figurational Sociology Working Group within RC20, linking up to a larger meeting at the ISA World Congress in Göteborg, 11-17 September 2010.
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If not too late, I should like to propose this for Barcelona:
Titel: Understanding processual thinking. Elias´s work on a sociological theory of knowledge
Autor: Vera Weiler (Universidad Nacional de Colombia)
Mail: vweiler@supercabletv.net.co
Abstract:
As Richard Kilminster (2007) argues, Eliasian Sociology marks a radical break with the philosophical (transcendental) foundations of knowledge about human beings at all, which, if not fully understood, tends to get assimilated to theories and purposes strange to Elias´ way of thinking. As there is growing interest in study of non-european processes at the light of Elias´ theory, it seems useful to strengthen Kilminster´s argument. While it is strong with reference to problems always detected by philosophers and sociology of knowledge, it is week when trying to explain what positive knowledge Elias had actually at hand. Thus, the paper will add some facts to Kilminster´s on this side. It will be argued that taking in account Elias´ knowledge about ongoing research (and debates) in ethnography/anthropology as well as about developmental psychology (Werner y Piaget), which involves the whole programme of relating ontogenetic and psychogenetic processes from the twentieth up, one can understand better what is meant with proccesual sociology as Elias had it in mind.
Note: Some days ago, I’ve been trying to send it to Stephen Mennel and Robert van Krieken.