NORBERT ELIAS,THE CIVILIZING PROCESS: SOCIOGENETIC AND PSYCHOGENETIC INVESTIGATIONS—AN OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT

Norbert Elias's The Civilizing Process, which was published in German in 1939 and first translated into English in two volumes in 1978 and 1982, is now widely regarded as one of the great works of twentieth‐century sociology. This work attempted to explain how Europeans came to think of themselves as more “civilized” than their forebears and neighboring societies. By analyzing books about manners that had been published between the thirteenth and eighteenth centuries, Elias observed changing conceptions of shame and embarrassment with respect to, among other things, bodily propriety and violence. To explain those developments, Elias examined the interplay among the rise of state monopolies of power, increasing levels of economic interconnectedness among people, and pressures to become attuned to others over greater distances that led to advances in identifying with others in the same society irrespective of social origins. Elias's analysis of the civilizing process was not confined, however, to explaining changing social bonds within separate societies. The investigation also focused on the division of Europe into sovereign states that were embroiled in struggles for power and security. This article provides an overview and analysis of Elias's principal claims in the light of growing interest in this seminal work in sociology. The analysis shows how Elias defended higher levels of synthesis in the social sciences to explain relations between “domestic” and “international” developments, and changes in social structure and in the emotional lives of modern people. Elias's investigation, which explained long‐term processes of development over several centuries, pointed to the limitations of inquiries that concentrate on short‐term intervals. Only by placing short‐term trends in long‐term perspective could sociologists understand contemporary developments. This article maintains that Elias's analysis of the civilizing process remains an exemplary study of long‐term developments in Western societies over the last five centuries.     

Oscillatory zoning and trace element incorporation in hydrothermal minerals: insights from calcite growth experiments

Oscillatory zoning and fine‐scale variations in trace element chemistry are commonly observed in hydrothermal minerals. It has been suggested that fine‐scale chemical variations are caused by extrinsic changes in the parent hydrothermal system, such as varying fluid composition, pressure or temperature, as well as changes in mineral growth rate. In this study, LA–ICP–MS (laser ablation, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer) analyses were carried out on calcite crystals grown in Ca–NH₃–Cl solutions doped with rare earth elements (REE). The variety of crystal morphologies observed (euhedral to acicular), likely relate to variations in trace element abundance and calcite supersaturation state. Crystals display oscillatory and sector zoning, with significant variations in REE concentrations among zones. Cyclic variations in REE concentrations (exceeding 10‐fold) occur over distances of <1 mm along the growth direction of acicular calcite crystals. In general, trace element concentrations decrease during progressive crystal growth, implying that the concentration of trace and REEs within crystals reflects the overall composition of the growth solution. However, bulk changes in crystal composition are modulated by fine‐scale (<1 mm) variations, which are inferred to be caused by growth‐rate‐controlled incorporation of trace elements. These results have important implications for using hydrothermal minerals to infer fluctuations in fluid compositions in ancient, exhumed hydrothermal systems.     

Doing Building Work: Methods at the Interface of Geography and Architecture

This paper summarises the methodological approach taken in an interdisciplinary project involving geographers and architects. The project charted the diverse afterlives of the modernist‐inspired, state‐sponsored, residential high‐rise, and did so drawing on two cases: Red Road Estate in Glasgow and Bukit Ho Swee Estate in Singapore. In offering a specific account of, and reflection upon, the methodologies used in the High‐rise Project, we hope to advance the methodological repertoire of human geography generally and contribute further to the new wave of scholarship on geography and architecture.     

FAIR SHARES FOR THE ZONE: ALLOCATING HEALTH-CARE RESOURCES FOR THE NATIVE POPULATIONS OF THE SIOUX LOOKOUT ZONE, NORTHERN ONTARIO

The purpose of this paper is to explore issues of healthcare resource allocation for a Canadian native population, that of Sioux Lookout Zone, within the context of the total provincial population. We argue that a fair share of provincial health resources for any population must be based on a population needs approach. The paper begins by establishing a method to measure a fair share of healthcare resources. It goes on to establish why a fair share is important in the light of native health conditions in general and with respect to this specific population. The fair share is then calculated and illustrated with reference to particular health-care programs. Finally, there is discussion of the methodological and policy issues that arise from this research.