Notes on the concept of individual in contemporary social theory: journey based on the works of Stuart Hall, Norbert Elias, Richard Sennett and Zygmunt Bauman

Abstract

The paper investigates how some authors of contemporary Social Theory (Stuart Hall, Norbert Elias, Richard Sennett and Zygmunt Bauman) developed several criticisms of the notion of Individual belonging to the classic Social Thought. In common, these thinkers consider it necessary to reformulate the theoretical legacy of the Modern Sociology, believing that many of the theoretical frameworks used by it are no longer able to capture the complexity and multiplicity of individualization processes occurring in the contemporary era. Based on an open reading of these various criticisms raised by these authors, the paper demonstrates that all these objections can be seen as a new way to represent the notion of individual, which gives powers, functions and expectations of these new Individual very different from those presented by classical thought. After presentation of this new conceptual framework given to the category of Individual in the contemporary world, the article concludes by putting to discuss what new problems and challenges contained in the emergence of this new model.