Anthony Giddens

From Geography

Anthony Giddens was born on 18 January 1938 is a British sociologist who is famous for his structuration theory and his holistic view of modern societies. He is considered to be one of the most prominent modern contributors in the field of sociology. The most recent stage concerns modernity, globalization and politics, especially the impact of modernity on social and personal life. This stage is reflected by his critique of postmodernity.

The structuration theory of Giddens explores what makes social space. Is it the individual or the relation of the individual with a group? He describes extreme positions in his book, arguing that people aren't totally free to choose their own actions. Beside that he says that peoples knowledge is limited. There exists a agency which reproduces the social structure and leads to social change. "Giddens writes that the connection between structure and action is a fundamental element of social theory, structure and agency are a duality that cannot be conceived of apart from one another and his main argument is contained in his expression: Duality (of structure)" (Gaunlett, 2002). At a basic level, this means that people create a society, but are at the same time constrained by the society. "human agency and social structure are in a relationship with each other, and it is the repetition of the acts of individual agents which reproduces the structure. This means that there is a social structure - traditions, institutions, moral codes, and established ways of doing things; but it also means that these can be changed when people start to ignore them, replace them, or reproduce them differently" (Gaunlett, 2002).

Self-identity

Giddens describes that self-identity is reflexive. It is not a quality of a moment, but an account of a person's life. " A person's identity is not to be found in behaviour, nor - important though this is - in the reactions of others, but in the capacity to keep a particular narrative going. The individual's biography, if she is to maintain regular interaction with others in the day-to-day world, cannot be wholly fictive. It must continually integrate events which occur in the external world, and sort them into the ongoing 'story' about the self." (Giddens,1991).

In modern societies - (This doesn't mean that a society is modern, but modern developed) - self-identity is a important issue. "Even those who would say that they have never given any thought to questions or anxieties about their own identity will inevitably have been compelled to make significant choices throughout their lives, from everyday questions about clothing, appearance and leisure to high-impact decisions about relationships, beliefs and occupations" (Gaunlett, 2002).

References:

Gaunlett, D. (2002). Media Gender and Identity: about Giddens' work on modernity and self-identity. Routledge: London.

Giddens, Anthony (1991). Modernity and Self-Identity: self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Polity: Cambridge

Published by Bas Boselie s0813141 & Chriss van Pul, s0801364