Anthony Giddens: biography of the British sociologist

Anthony Giddens, named Baron Giddens by the British monarchy in 2002, is a renowned 84-year-old British sociologist known, among other things, for his social theory of structuring, for the concepts of double hermeneutics, the duality of the social structure and for his social democratic theory of the third way. He is one of the most influential English sociologists of the 20th century, undoubtedly the most influential of those still alive, and a thinker of the stature of John Maynard Keynes. Giddens received the Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences in 2002.

Giddens’ life has been marked by academic, professional and intellectual success. Not only has he risen to the top of academia, serving as director of the prestigious London School of Economics , but through his insights and intellectual contributions, he has influenced notable political figures, including the former Social Democratic Prime Minister of England, Tony Blair.

Anthony Giddens is also known to be a very prolific academic writer. He has contributed no fewer than 40 titles that have been translated into more than 30 languages, many of which have been published in multiple editions. Many of his books are already considered classics for teaching sociology. In addition, in 1985 he was one of the founders of Polity Press publishing house .

Next, we will talk about the life and work of Anthony Giddens, as well as his most important contributions to modern sociology.

Birth and childhood of Anthony Giddens

Lord Anthony Giddens was born in Edmonton, North London, England on January 18, 1938 into a middle-class English family. His father was a worker for the London transport company, the London Passenger Transport Board , and he was the first in his family to attend university.

Giddens studied at some of the most prestigious educational institutions in England and the world. He began his studies in sociology at the small University of Hull, graduating in 1959 at the age of 21. He later earned an MA from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a PhD from King’s College, Cambridge University.

Academic and professional achievements

Giddens’ academic work began when he was a student, but intensified after he obtained a position as professor of social psychology at the University of Leicester in 1961, where he began to work on his own social theories.

Eight years later, he obtains a position as a professor at the University of Cambridge, where he did his doctorate. There he took a more active role in developing the field of sociology in England, participating in the creation of the Social and Political Science Committee. In 1987, 18 years after entering Cambridge, he was made a full professor.

Among the academic positions he held during his life, one of the most important was his tenure as director of the London School of Economics and Political Science for 6 years between 1997 and 2003.

Contributions of Anthony Giddens to modern sociology

With 34 published books and more than 50 years studying social structures, Giddens has made many contributions to contemporary sociology. In addition, she has also influenced a large number of sociologists in different parts of the world. However, the contributions for which Giddens is best known are two: the social theory of structuring and the social democratic theory of the third way.

The theory of structuring

Giddens’ name will always be associated with the theory of structuring. He developed it during the 70s of the 20th century and published it in 1984 in his work De él La constitución de la sociedad . The theory describes the creation of social systems based on the analysis of the structures of societies and the agents involved, giving equal weight or importance to both.

Additionally, with his theory, Giddens seeks to go even beyond the structure-agency dualism of society by separating social systems from their structure from the conceptual point of view, so that social systems do not, in themselves, possess structure, but rather they get it from social practices.

The “third way”

The third way (original title: The Third Way. The Renewal of Social Democracy ) is one of the most important political and social contributions that Anthony Giddens made to society in general and to English society and politics in particular. This book, published for the first time in 1998 in English, and in Spanish in 1999, seeks to reconcile the values ​​and ideas of the center-left of the social democratic movements and parties with the free market and the current global capitalist context.

In principle, the book seeks to demonstrate that neither socialism nor pure capitalism are adequate to ensure a balance in society at a global level, but that another path is needed (the third way) made up of an updated version of social democracy.

The ideas set out in the book The Third Way served as inspiration for the government of British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who appointed Anthony Giddens as adviser during his 10-year term, from 1997 to 2007. These ideas also formed an important part of the ideas policies of US President Bill Clinton, who also met with Giddens on several occasions to discuss his political views.

Giddens bibliography

1. Capitalism and modern social theory. An analysis of Marx’s writings. Durkheim and Max Weber (Original title Capitalism and Modern Social Theory: An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber , 1971)
2. Politics and Sociology in Max Weber (Original title: Politics and Sociology in the Thought of Max Weber , 1972)
3. The class structure in advanced societies (Original title: The Class Structure of the Advanced Societies , 1973)
4. The New Rules of Sociological Method: A Positive Critique of Interpretive Sociologies (Original title: New Rules of Sociological Method , 1976)
5. Political Theory (Original title: Political Theory , 1977)
6. Emile Durkheim (1978)
7. Central Problems in Social Theory (Original title: Central Problems in Social Theory, 1979)
8. A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism (Original title: A Contemporary Critique of Historical Materialism , 1981)
9. Sociology (Original title: Sociology, textbook of the sociological discipline, 1982)
10. Profiles and Critiques in Social Theory (Original title: Profiles and Critiques in Social Theory, 1983)
11. The Constitution of Society (Original title: The Constitution of Society, 1984)
12. The Nation-State and Violence (Original title: The Nation-State and Violence , (1985)
13. Consequences of Modernity (Original title: The Consequences of Modernity , 1990)
14. Modernity and Self Identity: The Self and Society in Contemporary Times (Original title: Modernity and Self Identity , 1991)
15. Beyond Left and Right: The Future of Radical Politics (Original title: Beyond Left and Right: The Future of Radical Politics , 1994)
16. The transformation of intimacy: sexuality, love, and eroticism in modern societies (Original title: The Transformation of Intimacy: Sexuality, Love, and Eroticism in Modern Societies , 1995)
17. In Defense of Sociology (1996)
18. Durkheim on Politics and the State (1996)
19. Politics, Sociology, and Social Theory: Reflections on Classical and Contemporary Social Thought (Original title: Politics, Sociology, and Social Theory: Encounters with Classical and Contemporary Social Thought , 1997)
20. The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy (Original title: The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy , 1998)
21. A World Runaway: The Effects of Globalization on Our Lives (Original title: Runaway World , 1999)
22. The third way and its critics (Original title: The Third Way and its Critics, 2000)
23. On the Edge: Living with Global Capitalism (Original title: On the Edge: Living with Global Capitalism, 2001)
24. The Global Third Way Debate (Original title: The Global Third Way Debate , 2001)
25. Where Now for New Labour? (2002)
26. The Progressive Manifesto: New Ideas for the Center-Left (Original title: The Progressive Manifesto: New Ideas for the Center-Left, 2003)
27. The New Egalitarianism (Original title: The New Egalitarianism , 2005)
28. Europe in the Global Age (Original title: Europe in the Global Age , 2006)
29. Global Europe, Social Europe (Original title: Global Europe, Social Europe , 2006)
30. To You, Mr. Brown (Original title: Over to you, Mr. Brown , 2007)
31. The politics of climate change (Original title: The Politics of Climate Change , 2010)
32. Studies in Social and Political Theory (Original title: Studies in Social and Political Theory, 2014)
33. Green Growth, Smart Growth (Original title: Green Growth, Smart Growth, 2015)
34. Turbulent and Mighty Continent (Original title: Turbulent and Mighty Continent , 2015)
35. The Consequences of Modernity (Original title: The consequences of Modernity, 2018)
36. Profiles and Critiques in Social Theory (Original title: Profiles and Critiques of Social Theory , 2021)
37. Introduction to Sociology (Original title: Introduction to Sociology , 2021)
38. Essential Concepts in Sociology (Original title: Essential Concepts in Sociology , 2021)
39. Sociology – Introductory Readings (Original title: Sociology – Introductory Readings, 4 ^th Ed , 2022)

References

Anthony Giddens . (2019). All Biographies. https://todobiografias.net/anthony-giddens/

EcuRed. (nd). Anthony Giddens . https://www.ecured.cu/Anthony_Giddens

García Guerrero, E. (2021, May 7). Sociological Contributions of Anthony Giddens . Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kCK4Jm5YBs

González, G. (2020, January 17). Anthony Giddens . lifer. https://www.lifeder.com/anthony-giddens/

Lucena Giraldo, J. (sf). Giddens, Anthony (1938-VVVV) . Biographies.com. https://www.mcnbiografias.com/app-bio/do/show?key=giddens-anthony

Zunino, H. (2000, August 1). THE “THEORY OF STRUCTURING” AND URBAN STUDIES. AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO STUDY THE TRANSFORMATION OF CITIES? Electronic Journal of Geography and Social Sciences. 69(74). http://www.ub.edu/geocrit/sn-69-74.htm