'Sifting through the chapters is rewarding, producing essays that are on target.' - Allan Mazur, Syracuse University

Contemporary Sociological Theory is an atypical book, in that it is the expression of a sociology that is oriented toward praxis as well as being active. It combines rigorous research with facts, including the intention for a dialogical utopia. Is something like this possible? - the professional sociologist asks, smiling mockingly, denying the possibility. But this broad intention is presented in the book, joining theory with critique and empirical research with praxis, in such a charming way that it grabs its readers and captures them under its spell. To whom is this book addressed? Clearly it is to sociology students, but it also has the objective of reaching those who do not plan on studying sociology. It is especially appropriate for social movements, which the book tries to involve in a theoretical dialogue, to be used to strengthen their daily struggles. If it were true that social movements need more theory in order to increase their capacity for political action, this book would imply an essential conclusion to this end. (From the Preface by Ulrich Beck)

This book presents Ulrich Beck, one of the world's leading sociologists and social thinkers, as a Pioneer in Cosmopolitan Sociology and Risk Society. His world risk society theory has been confirmed by recent disasters - events that have shaken modern society to the core, signaling the end of an era in which comprehensive insurance could keep us safe. Due to its own successes, modern society now faces failure: while in the past experiments were conducted in a lab, now the whole world is a test bed. Whether nuclear plants, genetically modified organisms, nanotechnology - if any of these experiments went wrong, the consequences would have a global impact and would be irreversible. Beck recommends ignoring the mathematical morality of expert opinions, which seek to identify the level of a given risk by calculating the probability of its occurrence. Instead, man's fear of collapse should offer an opportunity for international cooperation and a cosmopolitan turn in the social sciences.

The theme of reflexivity has come to be central to social analysis. In this book three prominent social thinkers discuss the implications of "reflexive modernization" for social and cultural theory today. Ulrich Beck's vision of the "risk society" has already become extraordinarily influential. Beck 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 the 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 analyzed. 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.

Global society has been analyzed in any number of ways: books dealing with its economic and cultural implications flood the market. But Planetary Politics highlights something unique. It explores globalization with an eye on the transformation of politics into a planetary enterprise. Unifying this collection is a political purpose: the attempt to engage in progressive fashion the dominant trends, the terrible excesses, and the positive prospects in a decidedly new era marked by the transition from a corrosive interplay between nation-states to a burgeoning planetary politics. Bringing together the work of major scholars with national and international reputations, this exciting new work offers perspectives for dealing with the complexity of power in the planetary life of the new millennium.

In this book, three social thinkers discuss the implications of reflexive modernization for social and cultural theory today. Ulrich Beck's vision of the risk society has already become influential. Beck 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 analyzed.

sondern es schon reicht, wenn man die eingeforderte Mobilitat der Erwerbstati gen berticksichtigt. Will man wirklich Sonntags Regionalismus und regionale Identitaten predigen und Werktags eine flexible und mobile Gesellschaft ein klagen? Oder ist es nur blanke Kosmetik und Symbolpolitik? Nun ist diese Gegentiberstellung sicherlich plakativ -und entspricht somit den Inhalten vieler Sonntags-und ErOffnungsreden. Wenn die Medizin jedoch nicht die einfache Rtickkehr zur verklarten Vergangenheit sein soll, so stellt sich die Frage, worin sie moglicherweise liegen konnte. Mochte man an den genannten Organisationsformen festhalten, so mtiBte man sagen, in der neu er fundenen Familie, in der neu erfundenen Nachbarschaft und in einem globali sierten Regionalismus. Das heiBt, nicht die alten liebgewonnenen Ideen dieser Institutionen konnten einen neuen Integrationsmodus darstellen, sondern ihre in die moderne Gesellschaft transformierten und eingepaBten Spiegelbilder -mit allen damit verbundenen Vor-und Nachteilen Aber diese Argumentation setzt voraus, daB tiber den Ursprung des Ubels Einigkeit besteht: Individualisierung. Genau hiertiber laBt sich jedoch auch trefflich streiten. Wer sagt denn und welche Belege lassen sich dafiir anfiihren, daB Individualisierung der Beginn allen Ubels der gegenwartigen Gesellschaft ist? Sind nicht Individuen weiterhin soziale Wesen, eingebettet in soziale (Aus tausch-)Beziehungen und Interaktionsnetze? Der Wandel des Handlungsmodus yom "Nahelegen" zum "Wahlen" (SCHULZE 1992), der durch die Sattigung ma terieller Notwendigkeiten und gewachsene fmanzielle Spielraume ermoglicht wurde und weiten Teilen der Bevolkerung im Nachkriegsdeutschland einen mittelschichtsorientierten Lebensstil erlaubte, veranderten die sozialstrukturel len Rahmenbedingungen und die vorherrschenden Wahrnehmungsmuster (vgl. MULLER-SCHNEIDER 1996)."

In seinem Gedicht An die Nachgeborenen schreibt Bertolt Brecht: Was sind das fiir Zeiten, wo Ein Gesprach uber Baume fast ein Verbrechen ist Weil es ein Schweigen uber so viele Untaten einschliegt An diesen Zeilen leuchtet exemplarisch ein Problem auf, das auch rur jedes Nachdenken uber Gesellschaft, das wissenschaftliche eingeschlossen, ty pisch ist. Und dieses Problem ist das zentrale Thema dieses Buches. Ganz allgemein (vielleicht zugleich zu allgemein und zu spezifisch formuliert) meine ich das Problem, dag auch in der gegenwartigen gesellschaftlichen Situation sozialer und politischer Interessenkampfe die harmloseste, metho disch vollig einwandfreie und in der sachlichsten Sprache der Welt abgefagte Detailuntersuchung zu einem System normativer Sachaussagen wird, weil sie fur die Interessen der kampfenden Parteien unterschiedliche Konsequen zen hat oder ein Schweigen uber den Zustand fortgesetzten Unrechts ein schliegt. Es ist ein Irrtum, und zwar ein fur die gesellschaftliche Funktion der Wissenschaft im sogenannt wissenschaftlich-technischen Zeitalter verhang nisvoller Irrtum, anzunehmen, sachlicher Sprachgebrauch bedeute gesell schaftliche Neutralitat, die disziplinierte Beschrankung auf Feststellen, Messen, Erklarenwollen, Vorhersagenkonnen, Verfugbarmachen konne keine gesellschaftliche Stellungnahme beinhalten, weil das derart aufberei tete Wissen prinzipiell fur die verschiedensten Zwecke einzusetzen sei. Dagegen ist zu sagen: Erstens kann man auch mit Hilfe technisch-statisti scher Aussagen werten, und zwar sowohl in den N aturwissenschaften wie in den Sozialwissenschaften. So geht zum Beispiel in die chemische Formel eines Giftgases die Wertabsicht des Totens und nicht die des Heilens ein."

B+Que significa, pues, la mirada cosmopolita? No el amanecer de la confraternizacion general de los pueblos, ni los albores de la republica universal, ni una mirada mundial que flotara libremente, ni el amor al otro por decreto. El cosmopolitismo no es tampoco un suplemento que deba sustituir al nacionalismo y al provincialismo, y ello no porque la idea de los derechos humanos y de la democracia precise de un suelo nacional. La mirada cosmopolita quiere decir: en un mundo de crisis globales y de peligros derivados de la civilizacion, pierden su obligatoriedad las viejas diferenciaciones entre dentro y fuera, nacional e internacional, nosotros y los otros, siendo preciso un nuevo realismo, de caracter cosmopolita, para poder sobrevivir.B;

Este libro aborda con detenimiento y claridad el arduo y problematico tema de la globalizacion: su polivalencia, su ambiguedad y sus dimensiones raras veces diferenciadas . Asi, pretende descubrir trampas mentales y ensenar a eludirlas, pero sobre todo abrir el horizonte a respuestas politicas respecto al tema en cuestion. En el fondo de todo, sin embargo, late esta doble pregunta, a la vez sencillisima y de una gran complejidad: que es la globalizacion? y como configurarla politicamente? Asi, a la sombra de este ensayo han surgido dos tendencias criticas en las que se documentan y presentan diversos hilos tematicos, experiencias y controversias sobre la globalizacion, con la ayuda de textos clasicos y recientes: por un lado, la politica de la globalizacion; por otro, las perspectivas de la sociedad mundial: sus controversias, conflictos y paradojas. Pero los motivos de fondo, en fin, continuan siendo los mismos: la perdida de la soberania del Estado nacional entre la economia mundial y la individualizacion, el shock de la globalizacion como debate eternamente aplazado, la apertura del horizonte mundial hacia la sociologia de la globalizacion, el surgimiento de una vision cosmopolita en la sociedad civil transnacional, los interrogantes sobre nuevas perspectivas conjuntas en torno a la sociedad mundial... Toda una serie de cuestiones que la obra de Beck ayuda a aclarar y dilucidar con un estilo ameno y sencillo que en ningun momento excluye la seriedad y el rigor.

7. Science Beyond Truth and Enlightenment? / 8. Opening up the Political / Index

"Ecological Politics" in and Age of Risk by Ulrich Beck is an original analysis of ecological politics as one part of a renewed engagement with the domain of sub-politics.

Individualization argues that we are in the midst of a fundamental change in the nature of society and politics. This change hinges around two processes: globalization and individualization. The book demonstrates that individualization is a structural characteristic of highly differentiated societies, and does not imperil social cohesion, but actually makes it possible. Ulrich Beck and Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim argue that it is vital to distinguish between the neo-liberal idea of the free-market individual and the concept of individualization. The result is the most complete discussion of individualization currently available, showing how individualization relates to basic social rights and also paid employment; and concluding that in as much as basic rights are internalized and everyone wants to or must be economically active, the spiral of individualization destroys the given foundations of social co-existence.

Individualization argues that we are in the midst of a fundamental change in the nature of society and politics. This change hinges around two processes: globalization and individualization. The book demonstrates that individualization is a structural characteristic of highly differentiated societies, and does not imperil social cohesion, but actually makes it possible. Ulrich Beck and Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim argue that it is vital to distinguish between the neo-liberal idea of the free-market individual and the concept of individualization. The result is the most complete discussion of individualization currently available, showing how individualization relates to basic social rights and also paid employment; and concluding that in as much as basic rights are internalized and everyone wants to or must be economically active, the spiral of individualization destroys the given foundations of social co-existence.

Ulrich Beck's best selling Risk Society established risk on the sociological agenda. It brought together a wide range of issues centering on environmental, health and personal risk, provided a rallying ground for researchers and activists in a variety of social movements and acted as a reference point for state and local policies in risk management. The Risk Society and Beyond charts the progress of Beck's ideas and traces their evolution. It demonstrates why the issues raised by Beck reverberate widely throughout social theory and covers the new risks that Beck did not foresee, associated with the emergence of new technologies, genetic and cybernetic. The book is unique because it offers both an introduction to the main arguments in Risk Society and develops a range of critical discussions of aspects of this and other works of Beck.

This book focuses on the relationship between physical space and social mobility, focusing on the new phenomenon of the "international professional" who makes the world his home. Mobile people, Magdalena Nowicka reveals, create their own spatial and cultural universes through daily routines and practices. Even the choice of a specific residence, Nowicka shows, has definite local and global consequences. Grounded in the influential theories of Ulrich Beck as well as the latest research in the sociology of space, "Transnational Professionals and their Cosmopolitan Universes "is an important contribution to continuing debates on globalization and sociology.