Description
Ulrich Beck's vision of the "risk society" has already become extraordinarily influential. He offers a new elaboration of his basic ideas, connecting reflexive modernization with new issues to do with the state and political organization. Giddens offers an in-depth examination of the connections between "institutional reflexivity" and the de-traditionalizing of the modern world. We are entering, he argues, a phase of the development of a global society. A 'global society' is not a world society, but one with universalizing tendencies.
Lash develops the theme of reflexive modernization in relation to aesthetics and the interpretation of culture. In this domain, he suggests, we need to look again at the conventional theories of postmodernism; "aesthetic modernization" has distinctive qualities that need to be uncovered and analysed. In the concluding sections of the book, the three authors offer critical appraisals of each other's viewpoints, providing a synthetic conclusion to the work as a whole.
Reviews
"Reflexive Modernization is stimulating and imaginative ... all the authors raise important issues. Giddens provides a much-needed sociological discussion of the nature of tradition, which should provoke debate. Lash's contribution is in some ways the most helpful, given his direct engagement with his co-authors and his relation of theory to a variety of evidence."
Radical Philosophy
"This is an attractive an original collection with much to commend ... the Giddens essay ... is elegant, smoothly written and carries lightly a vast amount of insight ... this is Giddens at his most mature and very best and explains his dominance in contemporary socialogical theory."
British Journal of Sociology
Book Information
ISBN 9780745612782
Author Ulrich Beck
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Polity Press
Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Weight(grams) 369g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 154mm * 18mm
