Anthony Giddens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Giddens
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Giddens in 2004
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Anthony Giddens
18 January 1938 London, England
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| Other names | Tony Giddens |
| Title | Director of the London School of Economics (1996–2003) |
| Political party | Labour |
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Notable work
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| Thesis | Sport and Society in Contemporary Britain (1961) |
| Academic advisors | David Lockwood |
| Doctoral students | Nigel Dodd |
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Anthony Giddens, Baron Giddens (born 18 January 1938) is a famous English sociologist. A sociologist studies how societies work and how people interact within them. Giddens is known for his ideas about how our actions and the rules of society are connected. He also looks at modern societies as a whole.
He is one of the most important modern sociologists. He has written over 34 books, which have been translated into many languages. In 2007, he was one of the most quoted authors in the humanities. He has worked at many universities around the world and received many awards.
His work can be split into four main parts:
- First, he looked at what sociology is, by re-examining older ideas.
- Second, he developed his "structuration theory," which explains how people's actions and society's rules affect each other.
- Third, he focused on modernity (modern times), globalisation (how the world is connected), and politics. He also talked about a new idea called the "Third Way" in politics.
- Most recently, he has studied big global issues like climate change, the European Union, and the Digital Revolution.
Giddens was the Director of the London School of Economics from 1997 to 2003. He is now a professor there. He is also a life member of King's College, Cambridge. Many university courses on sociology use his books.
About Anthony Giddens
Early Life and Education
Anthony Giddens was born in Edmonton, London on January 18, 1938. He grew up in a working-class family in London. He was the first person in his family to go to university.
He studied sociology and psychology at the University of Hull. Then he earned a master's degree at the London School of Economics. Later, he got his PhD from King's College, Cambridge.
Career and Contributions
In 1961, Giddens started teaching social psychology at the University of Leicester. He then moved to the University of Cambridge in 1969. There, he helped create a new department for social and political sciences.
He worked at Cambridge for many years and became a full professor in 1987. He also helped start a publishing company called Polity Press in 1985.
From 1997 to 2003, he was the Director of the London School of Economics. He was also involved in British politics, supporting the Labour Party. He often shared his views in the media.
In 2004, he was made a "life peer" as Baron Giddens. This means he became a member of the House of Lords, which is part of the UK Parliament. He has received many academic awards for his work.
Giddens' Main Ideas
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What is Sociology?
Giddens has written over 34 books and many articles about social sciences. He has explored many different ideas in sociology. His writings cover everything from complex theories to simple textbooks for students. His textbook, Sociology, has sold over a million copies.
He also uses ideas from other fields like anthropology, psychology, philosophy, and political science. He tries to bring together many different sociological theories into one big picture.
Giddens believes that sociology is the study of social groups and rules. These rules came about because of the industrial changes over the last few centuries. He focuses on how power, modernity, and institutions (like schools or governments) are built by society.
He also explained that sociologists need to understand how people make sense of their own lives. Society is not just a set of fixed rules. It is constantly being made and remade by what people do.
Structuration Theory
Giddens' most famous idea is his theory of structuration. This theory tries to answer a big question: Do individuals or social forces shape our reality? Giddens says it's both.
He believes that people are not completely free to do whatever they want. Their choices are limited by society's rules and resources. However, people's actions are also what create and change these social rules.
He calls this the "duality of structure." It means that people create society, but society also limits them. You can't study one without the other. For example, the rules of a language (structure) limit what you can say. But these rules also allow you to create new and meaningful sentences (action).
Giddens says that social rules and ways of doing things are usually stable. But they can change when people start to ignore them or do things differently. People learn these rules through growing up and experiences. They use these rules in their daily interactions.
Connecting Small and Big Picture
Giddens' ideas help us understand how small, individual actions connect to big, global changes.
- On a small scale (micro), think about families. People have more freedom to choose their partners and how they relate. This creates new chances but also more work, as relationships need constant effort.
- On a big scale (macro), think about globalisation. This offers huge opportunities for trade and development. But problems, like a financial crisis in one country, can quickly affect the whole world.
Giddens believes that all social change comes from a mix of these small and big forces. They are not separate; they are deeply connected.
Self-Identity in Modern Times
Giddens says that in modern times, our self-identity is something we actively create. It's not just given to us. We build a story about who we are and how we got here.
We have more information than ever before. This lets us think about why we do things and what the results might be. We are freer to choose what we want to do and who we want to be. However, more choices can also lead to more stress. We have to spend more time thinking about choices and the possible risks.
In the past, traditional societies often gave people their life story and social role. But in modern society, we usually have to create our own. Giddens asks: "What to do? How to act? Who to be?" These are key questions for everyone living today.
Understanding Modernity
Giddens believes that our current time is not "post-modern" (after modern). Instead, it's a "radicalised modernity." This means it's an even more developed version of the modern age. He sees both great opportunities and big dangers in this.
He compares traditional societies with modern ones. In traditional societies, people didn't have to think much about their actions. Choices were set by customs. In modern society, people have more choices. This means they need to think more about their actions. Society is more "reflexive," meaning it constantly looks at itself and changes.
A key part of modernity, according to Giddens, is that we are "disembedded" from time and space. In the past, space was where you moved, and time was your experience while moving. Now, we can imagine places we've never been. We also rely on "expert systems" (like doctors or engineers) for knowledge, even if we don't know them personally.
This leads to more uncertainty. Giddens uses the image of a "juggernaut" (a huge, unstoppable force) for modernity. Humanity tries to steer it, but it's hard to control.
The Third Way in Politics
Giddens believes that traditional political ideas like "left" and "right" are changing. He suggests a "Third Way" in politics. This idea tries to go beyond old ways of thinking about capitalism and socialism.
He says the goal of the Third Way is to help people deal with big changes like globalisation and changes in personal life. He is hopeful about the future. He believes there are many ways for people to get involved and make positive changes in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
The Third Way was not just a theory. It influenced many center-left political parties around the world. Giddens believed it was about making the values of the center-left important in a global world. He argued that controlling financial markets is very important for the world economy.
In 1999, Giddens gave a series of talks called the BBC Reith Lectures about "runaway world." He explained globalisation to a general audience. He was the first lecturer to give these talks in different cities worldwide and respond to emails from listeners.
Modern Challenges
High Opportunity, High Risk Society
Giddens has focused a lot on globalisation recently. He sees the world becoming more connected not just through the economy, but also through huge advances in communication. The internet, for example, connects people and organizations worldwide every day.
This connected world offers many benefits, but also new risks. Some of these risks are global. Giddens calls this a "high opportunity, high risk society." We are exploring new territory, and we don't know what the balance between opportunities and risks will be.
Climate Change
Climate change is one of these new global risks. Giddens discussed it in his 2009 book, The Politics of Climate Change. He says climate change is a huge threat to modern society. He asks why countries are doing so little to stop it.
One reason is that human-caused climate change is new. We have no past experience dealing with such a big, global problem. The dangers seem far away in the future. Giddens calls this his "paradox": We might wait until major disasters happen before we act, but by then, it might be too late to reverse the changes.
The European Union's Future
Giddens has also written about the European Union. In his book Turbulent and Mighty Continent: What Future for Europe?, he discusses the EU's future after the 2007-2008 financial crisis. He supports the EU but believes it needs big changes to avoid problems.
He thinks that some political unity must follow the economic unity created by the euro. The EU needs flexible leadership and more involvement from its citizens. In 2014, his book won the European Book Prize.
The Digital Revolution
Recently, Giddens has been very interested in how the Digital Revolution affects the world. This revolution is not just about the internet. It's a huge wave of change driven by the internet, robotics, and supercomputers. The powerful algorithms in smartphones connect these technologies.
He believes the speed and global reach of this revolution are unmatched in history. It's still in its early stages. While many see it as creating endless variety, Giddens points out it's also linked to power and large organizations. It relies on global satellite systems and huge data centers.
The Digital Revolution is part of the "high opportunity, high risk society." For example, it promises big advances in medicine, like decoding genetic structures quickly to fight diseases. But it also brings new threats from crime, violence, and war. Military drones are one example of how digital technology is used in war.
Artificial Intelligence
New developments in artificial intelligence (AI) are likely to bring even bigger social changes. Supercomputers are getting more powerful, and quantum computers are on the way. "Deep learning" (AI that can think creatively) is also advancing fast.
There's a global debate about whether AI can match or even surpass human intelligence. Giddens says AI and global politics are coming together again. In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that "whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world."
Giddens was part of a UK committee that looked into AI. They suggested rules for how AI should be developed. AI should be for the common good, be transparent, and never be allowed to harm people. Major countries should work together to make sure these rules are followed globally. The worry is that countries might rush to develop AI weapons, ignoring safety and ethics.
Honours
Giddens was made a life peer on June 16, 2004, as Baron Giddens. He sits in the House of Lords for the Labour Party.
He became a member of the Academia Europaea in 1993. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
In 1999, the Portuguese government gave him the Grand Cross of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator.
Giddens received the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences in 2002. This award is sometimes called the "Spanish Nobel Prize."
In 2020, he was awarded the Arne Naess Chair and Prize at the University of Oslo in Norway. This was for his work on environmental issues and climate change.
He also has over 15 honorary degrees from different universities around the world.
See Also
In Spanish: Anthony Giddens para niños
- Modalities (sociology)
- Risk society
