Anthony Giddens

Question 1

Giddens’ main work

Answer 1

Beyond Left and Right, 1994

First establishing Giddens as a socialist sympathiser

Highlights ‘coercive’ impact of capitalism on community + fraternity

However, admitted capitalism + individualism as irreversible, any future project towards greater equality would have to take this into account

Question 2

Giddens view on social democracy

Answer 2

Developed theme in book ‘The Third Way : The Renewal of Social Democracy’

Written during 1997 general election

Argued that survival of social democracy requires recognition that free-market capitalism (the power of business to set prices freely from supply + demand without gov intervention) had unmatched capacity to empower individuals economically

Question 3

When did Giddens believe socialism functioned best?

Answer 3

When there is a strong sense of social cohesion, which neo-liberals overlook

A ‘triangulation’ (linking neo-liberals view on economy to social democracies view on society) was required to make centre-left politics relevant in the modern day

Question 4

What did Giddens argue was ‘post-industrial capitalist societies’ and how did they link to triangulation

Answer 4

Post-industrial capitalist societies = decline of heavy industry cause fragmented communities, ‘atomised’ the workforce and left individuals feeling alienated

Industrial societies gave uniform incomes and mass employment, complimenting human natures need for solidarity and fellowship - gave individuals a strong sense of support + identity

Triangulation was needed in these post-industrial capitalist societies

Question 5

Giddens’ positives + negatives of post-industrial capitalism

Answer 5

Positives:
- Giddens argued post-industrial capitalism was liberating for individuals
- Individuals freer than ever to reach self-actualisation (process of reaching their full potential)
- Individuals more able to carve out their individual identity

Negatives:
- Individuals find it harder to develop due to the new ill-defined + vague society
- Individuals likely to be less certain and more prone to influence due to them being stripped of the communities that gave them identity + confidence

Question 6

Giddens’ great irony of individualism

Answer 6

The intended individualism of society brought about by post-industrial capitalism might actually result in less individualism

Task of the Third Way was to offset the consequence of neo-liberal capitalism

Question 7

Giddens’ view on Keynesian economics

Answer 7

Further state action was needed in a more globalised capitalist economy

Conventional Keynesian economics was now outdated , and that socialism needed to adopt a new free-market economy

However, conceded that if the free market capitalism was to generate the wealth needed to fund modern public services, greater wealth inequality may be inevitable

These ideas were hugely influential in the New Labour government