Johan Goudsblom (11 October 1932, Bergen, North Holland – 17 March 2020, Amsterdam) was a Dutch sociologist best known for championing the work of Norbert Elias and for his studies of long-term social processes. A professor of sociology at the University of Amsterdam from 1968 to 1997, he played a central role in developing and promoting figurational (process) sociology in the Netherlands and internationally.

Goudsblom studied social psychology and pedagogy at the University of Amsterdam and earned his PhD cum laude in 1960 with a dissertation on nihilism and culture. Deeply influenced by Elias’s Über den Prozeß der Zivilisation, he helped bring Elias to Amsterdam in 1969, fostering a lasting intellectual collaboration and friendship. Over time, Goudsblom expanded process sociology toward the analysis of very long-term developments in human history, most notably in Fire and Civilization (1992), which examined the role of fire in human evolution and social change.

In addition to his academic work, he published essays, aphorisms, and memoirs. Upon his retirement, he was knighted in the Order of the Netherlands Lion in recognition of his scholarly contributions.