The Contemporary Bauman

by Anthony Elliott (Editor)

Overview

This text covers Bauman’s contribution to sociology and social theory. This ideal teaching text analyzes Bauman's shift from a sociology of postmodernity to liquid modernity, and provides a critical assessment of the contemporary Bauman, appraising his novel theory of liquid modernity in terms of its implications for self-identity, interpersonal relationships, culture, communications, and the broad-ranging institutional transformations associated with globalization.

In addition to various extracts from Bauman's work, the book also contains a spirited reply from Zygmunt Bauman to both his sympathetic and unsympathetic critics. Bauman concludes by providing a new perspectives on his theory of liquid modernity, its differentiation from the modernity/postmodernity debate and its relation to current developments in contemporary social theory.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134130443
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/08/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Anthony Elliott is Professor of Sociology at Flinders University, Australia. His book, The New Individualism (2005), written with Charles Lemert, is also published by Routledge.

Table of Contents

Editor’s Introduction Anthony Elliott. Critique: Privatised and Disarmed Zygmunt Bauman Part 1: Liquid Modernity. On Being Light and Liquid Zygmunt Bauman. From Heavy to Light Modernity Zygmunt Bauman 1. The Theory of Liquid Modernity: A Critique of Bauman's Recent Sociology Anthony Elliott 2. From Postmodernity to Liquid Modernity: What’s in a Metaphor? Larry Ray 3. Bauman’s Irony Keith Tester Part 2: Liquid Love. Falling in and out of Love Zygmunt Bauman. On Living in a Liquid Modern World Zygmunt Bauman 4. Gender and Sexualities in Liquid Modernity Ann Branaman 5. Relatively Liquid Interpersonal Relationships in Flexible Work Life Poul Poder 6. Liquid Love: Psychoanalysing Mania Janet Sayers Part 3: Liquid Life. To Each Waste its Dumping Site Zygmunt Bauman. The Reality Principle and the Pleasure Principle Strike a Deal Zygmunt Bauman 7. Liquid Waste, Being Human, and Bodily Death Charles Lemert and Makenna Goodman 8. Solid Modernity, Liquid Utopia: Liquid Modernity, Solid Utopia: Ubiquitous Utopianism as a Trademark of the Work of Zygmunt Bauman Michael Hviid Jacobsen 9. On Bauman’s Sociology of Suffering: Questions for Thinking Iain Wilkinson. Afterword on Writing: On Writing Sociology Zygmunt Bauman

Editorial Reviews

'Undergraduates might ask if this reader should be seen as a possible entry point for newcomers who are not aware of Bauman’s writings. I do believe so, simply because some of the texts found here are quite clear, especially the first two chapters.'

'Even scholars who are already familiar with Bauman’s books will find some interesting prolongations of his ideas...'
-Yves Laberge, Université Laval, in Sociology, vol 44 iss 3

From the Publisher