Rather than contributing to the long-standing discussion about the characteristics of the society that socialism proposes to establish, this Routledge Revival, initially published in 1976, aims to explore the impact of the ‘living utopia’ of socialism on the development of modern society.    It begins with an analysis of the role of utopia in general, and of the socialist utopia in particular;    Bauman considers the opposition between ‘utopian’ and ‘scientific’ social thought;    He presents socialism as the ‘counter-culture’ of capitalist society;    The book finally examines the reasons for the failure of socialism in its application to the peasant revolution in Russia.    It then explores some possible forms that the socialist utopia might take in the industrial societies of the late twentieth century. Professor Bauman writes for those who want to understand the logic of the historical fate of socialism in the present century, who are concerned about the validity and vitality of socialist ideas on the development of modern society, and who are interested, and perhaps confused, by the cultural and ideological conflicts of the last few decades. 

Socialism, the Active Utopia (Controversies in Sociology)

Politics & Social Sciences

Bauman,Zygmunt

Social Sciences

HarperCollins, Publishers

Originally in 1978, this important work, by one of the leading European social theorists, is arguably the best introduction to the hermeneutic tradition as a whole. It is designed to help students of sociology and philosophy place the problems of "understanding social science" in their historical and philosophical context. It does so by presenting the major current in sociological thought as responses to the challenge of hermeneutics. The idea that true knowledge of social life can be attained only if human conduct is seen as meaningful action whose meaning is accordingly grasped has been presented as a discovery of recent sociology.  In fact its history is long and its connections plentiful, reaching beyond the boundaries of sociology itself. Yet it is in sociology that the hermeneutic tradition has attracted most interest but most misinterpretation. The debate is in full swing and there is no attempt to offer "correct" solutions - the emphasis instead is upon revealing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the main approaches. However it is Bauman's view that the theory of understanding may achieve valid results only if it treats the problem of understanding as an aspect of the ongoing process of social life.

Hermeneutics and social science: Approaches to understanding

Hutchinson

The word "globalization" is used to convey the hope and determination of order-making on a worldwide scale. It is trumpeted as providing more mobility -of people, capital, and information -and as being equally beneficial for everyone. With recent technological developments -most notably the Internet -globalization seems to be the fate of the world. But no one seems to be in control. As noted sociologist Zygmunt Bauman shows in this detailed history of globalization, while human affairs now take place on a global scale, we are not able to direct events; we can only watch as boundaries, institutions, and loyalties shift in rapid and unpredictable ways. Who benefits from the new globalization? Are people in need assisted more quickly and efficiently? Or are the poor worse off than ever before? Will a globalized economy shift jobs away from traditional areas, destroying time-honored national industries? Who will enjoy access to jobs in the new hierarchy of mobility? From the way the global economy creates a class of absentee landlords to current prison designs for the criminalized underclass, Bauman dissects globalization in all its manifestations: its effects on the economy, politics, social structures, and even our perceptions of time and space. In a chilling analysis, Bauman argues that globalization divides as much as it unites, creating an ever-widening gulf between the haves and the have-nots. Rather than the hybrid culture we had hoped for, globalization is creating a more homogenous world. Drawing on the works of philosophers, social historians, architects, and theoreticians such as Michel Foucault, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Alfred J. Dunlap, and Le Corbusier, presents a historical overview of the methods employed to create and define human spaces and institutions, from rural villages to sprawling urban centers. Bauman shows how the advent of the computer translates into the decline of truly public space. And he explores the dimensions of a world in which -through new technologies -time is accelerated and space is compressed, revealing how we have arrived at our current state of global thinking. Bauman´s incisive methods of inquiry make an excellent antidote to the exuberance expressed by those who stand to benefit from the new pace and mobility of the modern life.

Globalization: The Human Consequences

Business & Money

International

Columbia Univ. Pr.

The word "globalization" is used to convey the hope and determination of order-making on a worldwide scale. It is trumpeted as providing more mobility―of people, capital, and information―and as being equally beneficial for everyone. With recent technological developments―most notably the Internet―globalization seems to be the fate of the world. But no one seems to be in control. As noted sociologist Zygmunt Bauman shows in this detailed history of globalization, while human affairs now take place on a global scale, we are not able to direct events; we can only watch as boundaries, institutions, and loyalties shift in rapid and unpredictable ways. Who benefits from the new globalization? Are people in need assisted more quickly and efficiently? Or are the poor worse off than ever before? Will a globalized economy shift jobs away from traditional areas, destroying time-honored national industries? Who will enjoy access to jobs in the new hierarchy of mobility? From the way the global economy creates a class of absentee landlords to current prison designs for the criminalized underclass, Bauman dissects globalization in all its manifestations: its effects on the economy, politics, social structures, and even our perceptions of time and space. In a chilling analysis, Bauman argues that globalization divides as much as it unites, creating an ever-widening gulf between the haves and the have-nots. Rather than the hybrid culture we had hoped for, globalization is creating a more homogenous world. Drawing on the works of philosophers, social historians, architects, and theoreticians such as Michel Foucault, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Alfred J. Dunlap, and Le Corbusier, Globalization presents a historical overview of the methods employed to create and define human spaces and institutions, from rural villages to sprawling urban centers. Bauman shows how the advent of the computer translates into the decline of truly public space. And he explores the dimensions of a world in which―through new technologies―time is accelerated and space is compressed, revealing how we have arrived at our current state of global thinking. Bauman's incisive methods of inquiry make Globalization an excellent antidote to the exuberance expressed by those who stand to benefit from the new pace and mobility of the modern life.

Columbia University Press

Freedom (Concepts in the social sciences)

Freedom is a concept central to many of the social sciences. This book explores the social production of 'free agents', and the intimate connection between this process and the issues of systemic integration and social control.

Freedom (Concepts in the Social Sciences)

Philosophy

Open University Press

"It will be of great interest and value to students, teachers and researchers in sociology and social policy; but it would be good if it were to be read by politicians, journalists and the person in the street too.... It is not possible to convey all the richness and subtlety of Bauman's argument in a short review... [It] provides a very forceful and sophisticated statement of the case; and a very well written one too... As a wide ranging analysis of our present discontents it is an admirable example of the sort of challenge which sociology at its best can offer to us and our fellow citizens to re-assess and re-think our current social arrangements." Work, Employment and Society "This is a stylish and persuasive analysis of the transition between the age of the 'society of producers' to that of the 'society of consumers'." Political Studies 
 "Zygmunt Bauman presents a cogently argued and compelling thesis describing how the way poverty and the poor are being viewed in Western Society has changed during the course of modern history... this is an important book from a distinguished scholar, that adds a new dimension to the poverty debate." British Journal of Sociology
<ul>
<li>Can poverty be fought and conquered by orthodox means?</li>
<li>Should we seek new solutions like "decoupling" the right to livelihood from the selling of labour and extending the socially recognised concept of work?</li>
<li>How urgent is it to confront these social questions and find practical answers?</li>
</ul>It is one thing to be poor in a society of producers and universal employment; it is quite a different thing to be poor in a society of consumers, in which life projects are built around the consumer choice rather than work, professional skills or jobs. If "being poor" once derived its meaning from the condition of being unemployed, today it draws its meaning primarily from the plight of a flawed consumer. This is one difference which truly makes a difference - in the way living in poverty is experienced and in the chances and prospects to redeem its misery. This absorbing book attempts to trace this change, which has been taking place over the duration of modern history, and to make an inventory of its social consequences. On the way, it tries also to consider to what extent the well remembered and tested means of fighting back advancing poverty and mitigating its hardships are fit (or unfit) to grasp and tackle the problems of poverty in its present form. Students of sociology, politics and social policy will find this to be an invaluable text on the changing significance and implications of an enduring social problem.

Work, Consumerism and the New Poor (Issues in Society)

From one of today's most eminent thinkers--a piercing examination of poverty in the modern age If "being poor" once derived its meaning from the condition of being unemployed, today it draws its meaning primarily from the plight of a flawed consumer. This distinction truly makes a difference in the way poverty is experienced and in the chances to redeem its misery. This absorbing book traces this change, and makes an inventory of its social consequences. It also considers ways of fighting back advancing poverty and mitigating its hardships, and tackles the problems of poverty in its present form. The new edition features: <ul>
<li>Up-to-date coverage of the progress made by key thinkers in the field </li>
<li>A discussion of recent work on redundancy, disposability, and exclusion </li>
<li>Explorations of new theories of workable solutions to poverty </li>
</ul>
Students of sociology, politics, and social policy will find this to be an invaluable text on the changing significance and implications of an enduring social problem.

Economics

Work, Consumerism and the New Poor

Education and Intercultural Identity: A Dialogue between Zygmunt Bauman and Agostino Portera

Education and Intercultural Identity offers a dialogue between influential authors Zygmunt Bauman and Agostino Portera that reflects on and discusses contemporary events and issues relating to the crisis of global normativity, education and intercultural identity. 
Centered around a previously unpublished dialogue between Bauman and Portera, the book contains an extended introduction by Riccardo Mazzeo that traces key themes in the dialogue and highlights the importance of education in our globalized world. The book highlights that intercultural and multicultural education is the best developed model to meet modern day challenges that include religious pluralism, pollution, and conflict. It also contains timely material relating to significant issues affecting society today; including the refugee crisis, rising authoritarian nationalism, and the risks and challenges of globalisation and sustainability. 
This book will be of great interest for academics, scholars and students in the fields of intercultural education, sociology and the sociology of education.

Literature & Fiction

Portera, Agostino

United States

Routledge

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bauman,Zygmunt. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Bauman,Zygmunt

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bauman,Zygmunt. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Socialism, the Active Utopia (Controversies in Sociology)

Hermeneutics and social science: Approaches to understanding

Globalization: The Human Consequences

Globalization: The Human Consequences

Freedom (Concepts in the Social Sciences)

Work, Consumerism and the New Poor (Issues in Society)

Work, Consumerism and the New Poor (Issues in Society)

Work, Consumerism and the New Poor

Education and Intercultural Identity: A Dialogue between Zygmunt Bauman and Agostino Portera

Education and Intercultural Identity: A Dialogue between Zygmunt Bauman and Agostino Portera