Öz
This article discusses the ambiguities of the civilised man by employing the conceptual tools of figurational sociology, using Ruben Östlund’s 2017 film The Square as a focal point. Employing Norbert Elias’s theoretical framework, the study explores key sociological themes: the tension between competition and cooperation, the evolving nature of collective and individual identities (the ‘We-I’ balance), the interplay between personal self-control and societal control, and the contrast between formal and informal behaviours in contemporary society. Through Elias’s concepts, the film’s critique of social contracts, group dynamics, and morality is unpacked, offering insights into how people navigate today’s complex social networks. Central to the film’s narrative, the art installation called ‘The Square’ is a powerful metaphor that reveals the intricacies and ambiguities of civilised social behaviour. The study highlights how the veneer of civility often masks underlying primal instincts, exposing contradictions in modern social relations. By applying Elias’s figurational sociology to film analysis, this article not only brings attention to the relevance of Elias’s theories in contemporary European cinema but also contributes to the broader understanding of how civilised individuals cope with evolving social figurations. The film highlights the social tensions and ambiguities experienced by the civilised individual, as well as the fragility of the civilising process. This study analyses the relationships between individual behaviours, social control, and collective identity through the film The Square, using the conceptual tools of figurational sociology, and offers a critical perspective on the dynamics of modern society.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Figurational sociology Norbert Elias Ruben Östlund The Square (2017) Sociological film analysis
Kaynakça
- Binkley, S., et al. (2010). Of discipline and civilisation: A roundtable discussion on the legacies of Norbert Elias and Michel Foucault. Foucault Studies, 8, 53–77.
- Carew, A. (2018). Art Attack: Social Responsibility and Discomfort in The Square. Screen Education, 91, 50-57.
- Crump, A. (2017, October 21). Interview: Ruben Östlund on The Square and the Social Contract. Slant Magazine. https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/interview-ruben-ostlund-on-the-square-and-the-social-contract /
- Demoğlu, E., & Özdemirci, E. G. (Eds.). (2022). Nordik Sinema. Doğu Kitabevi.
- Dolan, P. (2014). Figurations. In A. C. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (pp. 2273–2277). Springer.
- Dunning, E. (1989). The figurational approach to leisure and sport. In C. Rojek (Ed.), Leisure for leisure: Critical essays (pp. 36–53). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Dunning, E., & Hughes, J. (2013). Norbert Elias and modern sociology: Knowledge, interdependence, power, process. Bloomsbury Academic.
- Elias, N. (1978). What is sociology? Columbia University Press.
- Elias, N. (1991). In reality, we are all late barbarians (H. Hetzel, Interviewer; E. Jephcott, Trans.). Originally published 1989 in Die Welt, December 11.
- Elias, N. (1996). The Germans: Power struggles and the development of habitus in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Columbia University Press.
- Elias, N. (2000). The civilising process: Sociogenetic and psychogenetic investigations. Blackwell.
- Elias, N. (2001). The society of individuals. Continuum.
- Elias, N., & Scotson, J. L. (2008). The established and the outsiders. University College Dublin.
- Grønstad, A. (2020). Conditional Vulnerability in the Films of Ruben Östlund. In A. M. Dancus et al. (Eds.), Vulnerability in Scandinavian Art and Culture (pp. 19-31). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Hooton, C. (2018, March 17). The Square film’s dinner scene: How the most tense, uncomfortable scene of the year was achieved. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-square-dinner-ape-scene-terry-notary-ruben-ostlund-a8261266.html
- Hughes, J., & Goodwin, J. (2013). Drawing Elias—Sketches from four interviews. Human Figurations: Long-Term Perspectives on the Human Condition, 2(2). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.11217607.0002.207
- Kaspersen, L. B., & Gabriel, N. (2008). The importance of survival units for Norbert Elias’s figurational perspective. The Sociological Review, 56(3), 370–387. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2008.00795.x
- Kilminster, R. (1998). The sociological revolution: From the Enlightenment to the global age. Routledge.
- Mennell, S. (1992). Norbert Elias: An introduction. Blackwell.
- Östlund, R. (Director). (2017). The Square [Film]. Plattform Produktion.
- Özgören Kınlı, İ. (2017). Figurational analysis of Michael Haneke’s Time of the Wolf. In T. S. Landini & F. Dépelteau (Eds.), Norbert Elias and violence (pp. 33–53). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Özgören Kınlı, İ. (2020). Norbert Elias ve Figürasyonel Sosyoloji’ye giriş. Turkish Studies - Social, 15(3), 1377–1394. https://dx.doi.org/10.29228/TurkishStudies.41865
- Roxborough, S. (2017, November 14). How The Square used a half-naked ape-man to pull off the film’s most “intense and unexpected” scene. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/how-square-used-a-naked-ape-man-pull-films-intense-unexpected-scene-1054658
- Tangcay, J. (2017, September 18). Interview: Ruben Ostlund’s The Square Looks at Modern Society. Awards Daily. https://www.awardsdaily.com/2017/09/18/interview-ruben-ostlunds-square-looks-modern-society
- Wouters, C. (1977). Informalisation and the civilising process. In P. R. Gleichmann, J. Goudsblom, & H. Korte (Eds.), Human Figurations: Essays for/Aufsätze für Norbert Elias (pp. 437–456). Stichting Amsterdams Sociologisch Tijdschrift.
- Wouters, C. (1990). Social stratification and informalization in global perspective. Theory, Culture & Society, 7, 69–90.
- Wouters, C. (2004). Changing regimes of manners and emotions: From disciplining to informalising. In S. Loyal & S. Quilley (Eds.), The sociology of Norbert Elias (pp. 193–211). Cambridge University Press.
- Wouters, C. (2007). Informalization: Manners and emotions since 1890. Sage.
- Wouters, C., & Mennell, S. (2013). Discussing civilisation and informalisation: Criteriology. Política y Sociedad, 50(2), 553–579.
- Wouters, C. (2014). Universally applicable criteria for doing figurational process sociology: Seven balances, one triad. Human Figurations: Long-Term Perspectives on the Human Condition, 3(1). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.11217607.0003.106
- Yuan, J. (2017, November 6). The Square’s monkey-man scene is bonkers. Here’s how it was made. Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2017/11/how-the-squares-bonkers-monkey-man-scene-was-made.html
Öz
Bu makale, figürasyonel sosyolojinin kavramsal araçlarını kullanarak, Ruben Östlund’un 2017 yapımı The Square filmi üzerinden uygar insanın açmazlarını tartışmaya açmaktadır. Norbert Elias’ın teorik çerçevesini kullanarak, çalışma, filmi rekabet ve iş birliği dengesi, Biz-Ben dengesi, özdenetim ve toplumsal denetim arasındaki etkileşim ile modern toplumda formalleşme ve informelleşme arasındaki gerilim gibi temel sosyolojik temalar üzerinden ele almaktadır. Filmin, toplumsal sözleşmelere, grup dinamiklerine ve ahlaka yönelik eleştirisi, Elias’ın kavramları ışığında analiz edilerek, uygar bireylerin giderek karmaşıklaşan toplumsal bağımlılık ağları içinde nasıl hareket ettiklerine dair derin bir anlayış sunmaktadır. Filmin merkez metaforu olan The Square sanat enstalasyonu, toplumsal davranışlardaki belirsizlikleri açığa çıkaran güçlü bir mercek işlevi görmektedir. Çalışma, uygarlığın çoğu zaman ilkel içgüdüleri nasıl maskelediğini ve modern toplumsal ilişkilerdeki çelişkileri nasıl ortaya çıkardığını vurgulamaktadır. Elias’ın figürasyonel sosyolojisini film analizine uygulayarak bu makale, Elias’ın teorilerinin çağdaş Avrupa sinemasındaki önemine dikkat çekerken, uygar bireylerin değişen toplumsal figürasyonlarla nasıl başa çıktıklarına dair genel bir anlayışa da katkıda bulunmaktadır. Filmde uygar bireyin yaşadığı toplumsal gerilimler, belirsizlikler ve uygarlaşma sürecinin kırılganlığı gözler önüne serilmektedir. Bu çalışma, bireysel davranışlar, toplumsal denetim ve kolektif kimlik arasındaki ilişkileri The Square filmi üzerinden, figürasyonel sosyolojinin kavramsal araçlarını kullanarak çözümlemekte ve modern toplumun dinamiklerine dair eleştirel bir perspektif sunmaktadır.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Figürasyonel sosyoloji Norbert Elias Ruben Östlund The Square (2017) Sosyolojik film analizi
Kaynakça
- Binkley, S., et al. (2010). Of discipline and civilisation: A roundtable discussion on the legacies of Norbert Elias and Michel Foucault. Foucault Studies, 8, 53–77.
- Carew, A. (2018). Art Attack: Social Responsibility and Discomfort in The Square. Screen Education, 91, 50-57.
- Crump, A. (2017, October 21). Interview: Ruben Östlund on The Square and the Social Contract. Slant Magazine. https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/interview-ruben-ostlund-on-the-square-and-the-social-contract /
- Demoğlu, E., & Özdemirci, E. G. (Eds.). (2022). Nordik Sinema. Doğu Kitabevi.
- Dolan, P. (2014). Figurations. In A. C. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research (pp. 2273–2277). Springer.
- Dunning, E. (1989). The figurational approach to leisure and sport. In C. Rojek (Ed.), Leisure for leisure: Critical essays (pp. 36–53). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Dunning, E., & Hughes, J. (2013). Norbert Elias and modern sociology: Knowledge, interdependence, power, process. Bloomsbury Academic.
- Elias, N. (1978). What is sociology? Columbia University Press.
- Elias, N. (1991). In reality, we are all late barbarians (H. Hetzel, Interviewer; E. Jephcott, Trans.). Originally published 1989 in Die Welt, December 11.
- Elias, N. (1996). The Germans: Power struggles and the development of habitus in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Columbia University Press.
- Elias, N. (2000). The civilising process: Sociogenetic and psychogenetic investigations. Blackwell.
- Elias, N. (2001). The society of individuals. Continuum.
- Elias, N., & Scotson, J. L. (2008). The established and the outsiders. University College Dublin.
- Grønstad, A. (2020). Conditional Vulnerability in the Films of Ruben Östlund. In A. M. Dancus et al. (Eds.), Vulnerability in Scandinavian Art and Culture (pp. 19-31). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Hooton, C. (2018, March 17). The Square film’s dinner scene: How the most tense, uncomfortable scene of the year was achieved. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/the-square-dinner-ape-scene-terry-notary-ruben-ostlund-a8261266.html
- Hughes, J., & Goodwin, J. (2013). Drawing Elias—Sketches from four interviews. Human Figurations: Long-Term Perspectives on the Human Condition, 2(2). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.11217607.0002.207
- Kaspersen, L. B., & Gabriel, N. (2008). The importance of survival units for Norbert Elias’s figurational perspective. The Sociological Review, 56(3), 370–387. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2008.00795.x
- Kilminster, R. (1998). The sociological revolution: From the Enlightenment to the global age. Routledge.
- Mennell, S. (1992). Norbert Elias: An introduction. Blackwell.
- Östlund, R. (Director). (2017). The Square [Film]. Plattform Produktion.
- Özgören Kınlı, İ. (2017). Figurational analysis of Michael Haneke’s Time of the Wolf. In T. S. Landini & F. Dépelteau (Eds.), Norbert Elias and violence (pp. 33–53). Palgrave Macmillan.
- Özgören Kınlı, İ. (2020). Norbert Elias ve Figürasyonel Sosyoloji’ye giriş. Turkish Studies - Social, 15(3), 1377–1394. https://dx.doi.org/10.29228/TurkishStudies.41865
- Roxborough, S. (2017, November 14). How The Square used a half-naked ape-man to pull off the film’s most “intense and unexpected” scene. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/how-square-used-a-naked-ape-man-pull-films-intense-unexpected-scene-1054658
- Tangcay, J. (2017, September 18). Interview: Ruben Ostlund’s The Square Looks at Modern Society. Awards Daily. https://www.awardsdaily.com/2017/09/18/interview-ruben-ostlunds-square-looks-modern-society
- Wouters, C. (1977). Informalisation and the civilising process. In P. R. Gleichmann, J. Goudsblom, & H. Korte (Eds.), Human Figurations: Essays for/Aufsätze für Norbert Elias (pp. 437–456). Stichting Amsterdams Sociologisch Tijdschrift.
- Wouters, C. (1990). Social stratification and informalization in global perspective. Theory, Culture & Society, 7, 69–90.
- Wouters, C. (2004). Changing regimes of manners and emotions: From disciplining to informalising. In S. Loyal & S. Quilley (Eds.), The sociology of Norbert Elias (pp. 193–211). Cambridge University Press.
- Wouters, C. (2007). Informalization: Manners and emotions since 1890. Sage.
- Wouters, C., & Mennell, S. (2013). Discussing civilisation and informalisation: Criteriology. Política y Sociedad, 50(2), 553–579.
- Wouters, C. (2014). Universally applicable criteria for doing figurational process sociology: Seven balances, one triad. Human Figurations: Long-Term Perspectives on the Human Condition, 3(1). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.11217607.0003.106
- Yuan, J. (2017, November 6). The Square’s monkey-man scene is bonkers. Here’s how it was made. Vulture. https://www.vulture.com/2017/11/how-the-squares-bonkers-monkey-man-scene-was-made.html
Ayrıntılar
| Birincil Dil | İngilizce |
|---|---|
| Konular | Sinema (Diğer) |
| Bölüm | Makale |
| Yazarlar | |
| Yayımlanma Tarihi | 5 Haziran 2025 |
| Gönderilme Tarihi | 18 Kasım 2024 |
| Kabul Tarihi | 15 Mart 2025 |
| Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2025 |
sinecine TR DİZİN ve FIAF tarafından taranmaktadır.