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A N T H O N Y G I D D E N S ( 1 9 3 8 – )
T
he world is in danger
and globalization is at
least partially to blame,
according to British sociologist
Anthony Giddens. He believes
that modernity has produced
a “runaway world” in which
governments and individuals
face global risks such as climate
change. One of his contributions
to this important area of research
is to provide a sociological
explanation for why governments
and individuals are reluctant to
take immediate action to address
the causes of global warming.Globalization of modernity
Giddens has been highlighting the
effects of globalization and how it
has been transforming society’s
institutions, social roles, and
relationships since the publication
of his book The Consequences of
Modernity in 1990. He notes that
the world’s developed and newly
industrialized societies are now
characterized by experiences
and relationships that are
dramatically different from those
in pre-industrial societies.
This globalization of modernity
and its consequences marks a new
stage in human civilization, whichGiddens calls “late modernity.” He
uses the analogy of “riding onboard
a juggernaut” to illustrate how
the modern world seems to be
“out of control” and difficult to
direct. While life in late modernity
is at times “rewarding” and
“exhilarating,” individuals must
also confront new uncertainties,
place trust in abstract systems, and
manage new challenges and risks.
Giddens sees anthropogenic
(human-induced) climate change
as one of the most important risks,
and indeed challenges, confronting
humanity. Industrialized societies
burn significant amounts of
fossil fuels to generate power.IN CONTEXT
FOCUS
Giddens’ paradoxKEY DATES
1900 Modernity continues
to spread as nations develop
industrial economies and
generate economic growth.1952 The Great Smog, a toxic,
smokelike air-pollution event
over London, kills an estimated
4,000 people and leads to the
Clean Air Act (1956).1987 The Montreal Protocol
is agreed, protecting the
ozone layer by phasing out
the production of substances
responsible for ozone depletion.1997 Agreement of The Kyoto
Protocol, a United Nations
convention intended to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions
from industrialized countries
and prevent climate change.2009 A renewed commitment
to the reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions is made in the
Copenhagen Accord.People find it hard to
give the same level of
reality to the future as
they do to the present.
Anthony Giddens