G,M,PM: Theories of late modernity

Question 1

How do theories of late modernity differ from postmodern theories?

Answer 1

• they believe that the rapid changes we are witnessing are not the dawn of new, postmodern era but actually a continuation of modernity itself

Question 2

Give an example of how theorists of late modernity see features of modernity becoming more intensified

Answer 2

• social change has always been a feature of modern society but the pace of social change has gone into overdrive

Question 3

How do theories of late modernity subscribe to the Enlightenment project?

Answer 3

• they still believe we can discover objective knowledge and use it to improve society

Question 4

What are the two reasons Gidden identifies as two key features of modernity that mean rapid change often on a global scale often occurs?

Answer 4

• disembedding

- reflexivity

Question 5

How has disembedding changed the way people interact?

Answer 5

• we no longer need face-to-face contact to interact
• geographical barriers can be broken down
• interaction becomes more impersonal

Question 6

What does Gidden comment about the tradition and custom of high modern society? and how this affects us as people?

Answer 6

• tradition and custom become much less important
• no longer serve as a guide about how we should act
• we become more individualistic

Question 7

Because tradition no longer tells us how to act, what are we forced to become according to Giddens?

Answer 7

• reflexive

Question 8

What does it mean to become reflexive?

Answer 8

• to constantly monitor, reflect on, and modify our actions according to possible risks and opportunities that they might involve

Question 9

How does reflexivity link to late modern society becoming increasingly unstable and subject to change?

Answer 9

• nothing is fixed or permanent

- everything is up for challenge

Question 10

How do dis-embedding and reflexivity help drive globalisation?

Answer 10

• they account for rapid and widespread nature of social change in high modernity
• they enable social interaction to spread rapidly across the globe

Question 11

List some of the ‘manufactured’ or human-made risks that Giddens identifies in late modernity

Answer 11

• nuclear war
• global warming
• increased state surveillance

Question 12

In what way does Giddens reject the postmodernist view that we cannot intervene to improve things?

Answer 12

• he believes we can make rational plans to reduce risks and achieve progress

Question 13

How does Beck link to the Enlightenment tradition?

Answer 13

• he believes in the power of reason to create a better world

Question 14

How are the risks we face today new according to Beck?

Answer 14

• the dangers we face are manufactured risks from human activities, not from inability to control nature

Question 15

In what ways does Beck agree with Giddens that in late modernity there is growing individualisation? What does he call this?

Answer 15

• he believes traditions no longer govern how we act
• we have to think for ourselves and reflect on possible consequences
• we must constantly consider the risks attached to the different courses of action open to us
• reflexive modernisation

Question 16

Give an example of a situation in which increased individualisation has led to risk consciousness?

Answer 16

• reading the dangers of foods before eating them and changing eating habits

Question 17

What’s a limitation to risk consciousness?

Answer 17

• we gain a lot of our facts about risk from mass media which can distort things

Question 18

How does Beck link reflexivity and the Enlightenment project? (give an example)

Answer 18

• he believes that because we are reflexive we can evaluate risks rationally and take political action to reduce risks
• eg. Beck turns to new movements such as environmentalism to challenge the direction of technological direction

Question 19

The concept of reflexivity suggests we reflect on our actions and are then free to re-shape our lives accordingly to avoid exposure to risks. What is a criticism of this?

Answer 19

• not everyone is able to do this

- eg. poor are exposed to environmental risks because they’re likely to live in polluted areas (can’t change this)

Question 20

Although Beck sees technology as one of the causes of these high consequence risks - how does Rustin challenge this?

Answer 20

• says capitalism, with pursuit of profit at all costs, is the source of risk

Question 21

Why does Hirst reject Beck’s view that movements such as environmentalism will bring about significant change?

Answer 21

• they are too fragmented to challenge capitalism

Question 22

Summarise sociologists and ideas about late modernity

Answer 22

• Giddens: dis-embedding and reflexivity

- Beck: risk society, reflexivity