Anthony Giddens British sociologist Date of Birth: 18.01.1938 Country: Great Britain

Biography of Anthony Giddens

Anthony Giddens is a British sociologist, best known for his theory of structuration and comprehensive views on contemporary social systems. He is considered one of the most important figures in modern sociology, having authored over 34 books translated into 29 different languages. Giddens was born and raised in Edmonton, London, to a middle-class family. He became the first in his family to attend university, graduating from Hull University in 1959 with a degree in sociology and psychology.

Giddens went on to earn a master's degree from the London School of Economics and a PhD from King's College, Cambridge. In 1961, he began teaching social psychology at the University of Leicester, where he met Norbert Elias and began developing the theoretical foundation of his work. In 1969, Giddens was invited to the University of Cambridge, where he established the Committee for Social and Political Sciences within the Economics faculty.

Giddens spent a significant portion of his career at Cambridge and was appointed a full professor in 1987. From 1997 to 2003, he served as the director of the London School of Economics. In June 2004, Giddens was granted a life peerage and became Baron Giddens. Throughout his academic career, Giddens has been known for his prolific publishing, with works such as "Capitalism and Modern Social Theory" (1971), "New Rules of Sociological Method" (1976), "Central Problems in Social Theory," and "The Constitution of Society" gaining international recognition.

In his later years, Giddens focused on contemporary societal structures, globalization, and political interactions. He critically examined the era of postmodernity and proposed a new method of political interaction he termed "utopian-realistic." Some of his notable publications from this period include "Consequences of Modernity," "Modernity and Self-Identity," "The Transformation of Intimacy," "Beyond Left and Right," and "The Third Way: The Renewal of Social Democracy."

Giddens continues to actively engage in scholarly pursuits, with his main goal being the restructuring of social theories and the reevaluation of modern society's development and direction.