Professor Emeritus Robert Van Krieken
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Professor Emeritus Robert Van Krieken

BA (Hons), PhD UNSW, LLB (Syd)
Professor of Sociology
Phone
+61 2 9351 4990
Address
A02 - Social Sciences Building
The University of Sydney
Professor Emeritus Robert Van Krieken

Of Dutch parentage, but born in Hong Kong where I spent my primary school years. I came to Sydney in 1967, and on leaving school did a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Sociology at the University of NSW. I did my PhD at UNSW as well, supervised by Michael Pusey. I started working at the University of Sydney in 1979, and since then I have helped build up the Sociology programme, as well as the Socio-Legal programme more recently. I’m also active in the International Sociological Association.

Social change, socio-legal issues (practical and theoretical), family law, the changing formation of identity and the self under varying social and historical conditions, power and social control, changing patterns of state-formation, technology and social relationships, application of social theory to current societal transformations, celebrity as a social form, globalization.

Sociological theory. socio-legal studies, law and social theory, celebrity society, childhood, family, theory and research on processes of civilization and decivilization. Click here for a more detailed description of research supervision areas.

  • In the International Sociological Association: President of Research Committee 53, Sociology of Childhood,
  • Vice-President of RC17 Sociology of Organizations,
  • Vice-President of Working Group 02. Historical & Comparative Sociology,
  • Member of the Executive Committee 2006-2010,
  • Vice-President for Finance & Membership 2010-2014.
  • Member of the Executive of the Sociological Association of Ireland, 2009-2011.

Visiting Positions

Visiting Professor at University College Dublin, Visiting Scholar, Amsterdam School for Social Research (1994).

Project titleResearch student
The Impact of Social Theory in Contemporary Times: A Focus on Class AnalysisKashing LIU

Selected publications

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Publications

Books

  • Van Krieken, R., Habibis, D., Smith, P., Maton, K., Martin, G., Churchill, B., West, B., Hansen, E. (2021). Sociology: 7th Edition. Sydney: Pearson.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2019). Celebrity Society: The Struggle for Attention. Abingdon: Routledge. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R., Habibis, D., Smith, P., Hutchins, B., Martin, G., Maton, K. (2016). Sociology: 6th edition. Sydney: Pearson Education.

Book Chapters

  • Van Krieken, R. (2023). Crime, government and civilisation: Rethinking elias in criminology. In Stephen Mennell & Alex Law (Eds.), The Anthem Companion to Norbert Elias, (pp. 185-203). NA: Anthem Press.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2019). Civilizing Process. In George Ritzer and Chris Rojek (Eds.), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, (pp. 1-4). Oxford: John Wiley & Sons. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2019). Norbert Elias and organizational analysis: Towards process-figurational theory. In Steward Clegg, Miguel Pina e Cunha (Eds.), Management, Organizations and Contemporary Social Theory, (pp. 158-184). London: Routledge. [More Information]

Journals

  • Bucholc, M., Canihac, H., Delmotte, F., Van Krieken, R. (2024). Law and (De)Civilization. An Introduction. Historische Sozialforschung, 49(2), 7-33. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2024). The Organization of Ignorance: The Australian ‘Robodebt’ Affair, Bureaucracy, Law and Politics. Critical Sociology. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2024). Welfare or Cultural Genocide? Law, Civilization, Decivilization, and the Removal of Indigenous Children in Australia. Historische Sozialforschung, 49(2), 65-86. [More Information]

Conferences

  • Browne, C., Van Krieken, R., Edwards, K., Watson, V. (2001). Tasa 2001. TASA 2001, : World Scientific Publishing.

Reference Works

  • Van Krieken, R. (2017). Huizinga, Johan. The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory. Wiley Blackwell.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2017). Norbert Elias and Figurational Sociology. In Bryan S. Turner (Eds.), Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2007). Civilizing Process. In George Ritzer (Eds.), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. (Vol. II C, pp. 529-533). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.

2024

  • Bucholc, M., Canihac, H., Delmotte, F., Van Krieken, R. (2024). Law and (De)Civilization. An Introduction. Historische Sozialforschung, 49(2), 7-33. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2024). The Organization of Ignorance: The Australian ‘Robodebt’ Affair, Bureaucracy, Law and Politics. Critical Sociology. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2024). Welfare or Cultural Genocide? Law, Civilization, Decivilization, and the Removal of Indigenous Children in Australia. Historische Sozialforschung, 49(2), 65-86. [More Information]

2023

  • Van Krieken, R. (2023). Crime, government and civilisation: Rethinking elias in criminology. In Stephen Mennell & Alex Law (Eds.), The Anthem Companion to Norbert Elias, (pp. 185-203). NA: Anthem Press.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2023). Refeudalization and Law: From the Rule of Law to Ties of Allegiance. Annual Review of Law and Social Science, 19, 337-355. [More Information]

2021

  • Van Krieken, R., Habibis, D., Smith, P., Maton, K., Martin, G., Churchill, B., West, B., Hansen, E. (2021). Sociology: 7th Edition. Sydney: Pearson.

2020

  • Van Krieken, R. (2020). Covid-19 and the civilizing process. Journal of Sociology, 56(4), 714-725. [More Information]

2019

  • Van Krieken, R. (2019). Celebrity Society: The Struggle for Attention. Abingdon: Routledge. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2019). Civilizing Process. In George Ritzer and Chris Rojek (Eds.), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, (pp. 1-4). Oxford: John Wiley & Sons. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2019). Georg Franck's 'The Economy of Attention': Mental capitalism and the struggle for attention. Journal of Sociology, 55(1), 3-7. [More Information]

2018

  • Van Krieken, R. (2018). Celebrity's histories. In Anthony Elliott (Eds.), Routledge Handbook of Celebrity Studies, (pp. 26-43). Abingdon: Routledge. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2018). The age of kitsch: Our culture seen as a period of 'uncertainty of form'; art and Kitsch are not opposites. Human Figurations, 7(1).
  • Van Krieken, R. (2018). The word civilization: on the border between civilization and culture. Human Figurations, 7(1).

2017

  • Van Krieken, R. (2017). Huizinga, Johan. The Wiley‐Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social Theory. Wiley Blackwell.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2017). Norbert Elias and Figurational Sociology. In Bryan S. Turner (Eds.), Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.

2016

  • Van Krieken, R. (2016). Celebrity, Humanitarianism and Settler-Colonialism: G.A. Robinson and the Aborigines of Van Diemen's Land. In Lisa Ann Richey (Eds.), Celebrity Humanitarianism and North-South Relations: Politics, place and power, (pp. 189-209). Abingdon: Routledge. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R., Habibis, D., Smith, P., Hutchins, B., Martin, G., Maton, K. (2016). Sociology: 6th edition. Sydney: Pearson Education.

2014

  • Van Krieken, R. (2014). Norbert Elias and Emotions in History. In David Lemmings, Ann Brooks (Eds.), Emotions and Social Change: Historical and Sociological Perspectives, (pp. 19-42). New York, USA: Routledge. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R., Habibis, D., Smith, P., Hutchins, B., Martin, G., Maton, K. (2014). Sociology: Themes and perspectives, 5th edition. Sydney: Pearson Education.

2012

  • Van Krieken, R. (2012). Between assimilation and multiculturalism: models of integration in Australia. Patterns of Prejudice, 46(5), 500-517. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2012). Celebrity society. Oxon: Routledge. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2012). We Have Never Been Multicultural. Contemporary Sociology-A Journal of Reviews, 41(4), 466-469. [More Information]

2011

  • Van Krieken, R. (2011). Kumarangk (Hindmarsh Island) and the Politics of Natural Justice under Settler-Colonialism. Law and Social Inquiry, 36(1), 125-149. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2011). Three faces of civilization: 'In the beginning all the world was Ireland'. In Norman Gabriel, Stephen Mennell (Eds.), Norbert Elias and Figurational Research: Processual Thinking in Sociology, (pp. 24-47). Malden, MA, USA: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.

2010

  • Loughlan, P., McDonald, B., Van Krieken, R. (2010). Celebrity and the Law. Sydney: Federation Press.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2010). Childhood in Australian Sociology and Society. Current Sociology, 58(2), 232-249. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2010). Reassembling civilization: State-formation, Subjectivity, Security, Power. In Anna Yeatman, Magdalean Zolkos (Eds.), State, Security, and Subject Formation, (pp. 36-49). New York, NY: Continuum.

2009

  • Van Krieken, R., Buhler-Niederberger, D. (2009). Rethinking the Sociology of Childhood: Conflict, Competition and Cooperation in Children's Lives. In Ann Denis and Devorah Kalekin-Fishman (Eds.), The ISA Handbook in Contemporary Sociology, (pp. 185-200). London UK: Sage Publications. [More Information]

2008

  • Van Krieken, R. (2008). Crime and Social Theory. In Thalia Anthony and Chris Cunneen (Eds.), The Critical Criminology Companion, (pp. 68-79). Sydney, Australia: Hawkins Press.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2008). Cultural Genocide in Australia. In Dan Stone (Eds.), The Historiography of Genocide, (pp. 128-155). New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2008). Cultural genocide reconsidered. Australian Indigenous Law Review, 12(Special Edition), 76-81.

2007

  • Van Krieken, R. (2007). Civilizing Process. In George Ritzer (Eds.), The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. (Vol. II C, pp. 529-533). Oxford: Blackwell Publishers.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2007). Liberal technologies of regulation. In Stewart Clegg & James R. Bailey (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of Organization Studies. London, UK: Sage Publications.

2006

  • Van Krieken, R. (2006). Law's Autonomy in Action: Anthropology and History in Court. Social and Legal Studies, 15(4), 574-590. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2006). The Ethics of Corporate Legal Personality. In Steward R Clegg & Carl Rhodes (Eds.), Management Ethics: Contemporary Contexts, (pp. 77-96). London: Routledge imprint of Taylor & Francis.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2006). The Socio-Legal Construction of the 'Best Interests of the Child': Law's Autonomy, Sociology and Family Law. In Michael Freeman (Eds.), Law and Sociology: Current Legal Issues 2005, (pp. 437-458). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

2005

  • Van Krieken, R. (2005). Assimilation and Liberal Government. In Rowse, T (Eds.), Contesting Assimilation, (pp. 39-47). Perth: API Network.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2005). Education. In R.van Krieken, D.Habibis, P.Smith, B.Hutchins (Eds.), Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. Sydney: Pearson Education.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2005). Family Life. In R.van Krieken, D.Habibis, P.Smith, B.Hutchins (Eds.), Sociology: Themes and Perspectives. Sydney: Pearson Education.

2004

  • Van Krieken, R. (2004). Decline And Fall. Meanjin, 63(4), 53-58.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2004). Rethinking Cultural Genocide: Aboriginal Child Removal and Settler-Colonial State Formation. Oceania, 75(2), 125-151. [More Information]

2003

  • Van Krieken, R., Krygier, M. (2003). The character of the nation. In Robert Manne (Eds.), Whitewash: On Keith Windschuttle's Fabrication of Aboriginal History, (pp. 81-108). Melbourne: Black Inc.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2003). When is child welfare cultural Genocide? On the politics of the organized 'improvement' of children's lives. In Sunker, Farnen, Szell (Eds.), Political Socialisation, Participation and Education, (pp. 87-112). Germany: Peter Lang Publishing.

2002

  • Van Krieken, R., Havemann, T. (2002). Norbert Elias. Denmark: Hans Reitzels Forlag. [More Information]
  • Van Krieken, R. (2002). Reshaping civilization: Liberalism between Assimilation and Cultural Genocide. Amsterdams Sociologisch Tijdshrift, , 215-247.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2002). The paradox of the 'two sociologies': Hobbes, Latour and the Constitution of modern social theory. Journal of Sociology, 38(3), 255-273.

2001

  • Van Krieken, R. (2001). Is Assimilation Justiciable. Sydney Law Review, Vol 23, No. 2 June 2001, 239-260.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2001). Legal Informalism, Power and Liberal Governance. Social and Legal Studies, 10, 5-22.
  • Van Krieken, R. (2001). Liberalism and Civilization: between Assimilation and Cultural Genocide. In Christiane K Alsop (Eds.), Bridges Between Disciplines, (pp. 210-228). Germany: Sage Publications.

Selected Grants

2014

  • Adopting a Blended Learning Approach for First Year Units in Arts and Social Sciences, Van Krieken R, Stavros M, DVC Education/Large Educational Innovation Grant

2013

  • Adopting a Blended Learning Approach for First Year Units in Arts and Social Sciences, Van Krieken R, Stavros M, DVC Education/Large Educational Innovation Grant

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