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Coversheet for Thesis in Sussex Research Online A University of Sussex DPhil thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details A Libertarian Socialist Critique of the Political Sociology of Late Modernity Matt Dawson DPhil in Social and Political Thought University of Sussex July 2011 i Declaration I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be, submitted in whole or in part to another University for the award of any other degree. Signature: ii Contents Acknowledgements v Summary vii Introduction: The (In)compatibility of Socialism and Late Modernity 1 On Neoliberalism: A Definition 3 Chapter 1: The Sociology of Late Modernity 7 On Modernity 8 Life in Late Modernity 13 Empirical Work on Late Modernity and Individualization 22 The Embedded and Disembedded Theories of Individualization 32 Chapter 2: The Political Sociology of Late Modernity 37 Anthony Giddens: „Blair‟s Brain‟ 38 Giddens‟ First Stage: Structuration Theory & Historical Materialism, 1981-1993 47 Conclusions from Giddens‟ First Stage 47 Giddens‟ Second Stage: Beyond Left and Right and „The Third Way‟, 1994- 47 Conclusions from Giddens‟ Second Stage 57 Giddens and Late Modern Politics: An Assessment 58 Ulrich Beck: Sub-Politics as Part of a Cosmopolitan Vision 59 Beck‟s First Stage: The Reinvention of Politics, 1986-1999 60 Conclusions from Beck‟s First Stage 69 Beck‟s Second Stage: The Cosmopolitan Turn, 2000- 70 Conclusions from Beck‟s Second Stage 74 Beck and Late Modern Politics: An Assessment 75 Individualization and the Problem of Politics 77 Zygmunt Bauman: Socialist Utopias in a Liquid Modern World? 78 Bauman‟s First Stage: Socialism and Freedom, 1972-1988 78 Conclusions from Bauman‟s First Stage 84 Bauman‟s Second Stage: An Interpreter in a Liquid Modern World, 1987- 84 iii Conclusions from Bauman‟s Second Stage 93 Bauman and Late Modern Politics: An Assessment 93 Chapter 3: Basis of a Libertarian Socialist Critique Within Late Modernity 96 The Four Themes 96 Libertarian Socialism: An Outline 99 Why Not a „Social Democratic Critique‟? 109 Chapter 4: Political Individualization and Libertarian Socialism 113 The Aspects of Individualization 114 The „Elective Affinity‟ Between Individualization and Neoliberalism 124 The „Cut-Off‟ Individual 127 Appeal and Identification 130 Conclusion 135 Chapter 5: The Increased Politicisation of Everyday Life in Late Modernity 137 Late Modernity and Everyday Life: The Importance of Choice 138 Henri Lefebvre‟s (and Bauman‟s) „Critique of Everyday Life‟ 139 Alternative Forms of Everyday Politics 146 Libertarian Socialism as the Politics of Everyday Life 148 Conclusion 153 Chapter 6: The Late Modern State and the Libertarian Socialist Critique 155 The Late Modern State Form 156 The „Late Modern Libertarian Socialist State‟? 166 Decrowning the State and Areas of Late Modern Associational Promise 167 The LMLSS and (In)equality 171 The LMLSS and Identification 174 The LMLSS and Conflict 175 The LMLSS and Neo-Pluralism 176 Conclusion: Late Modern Relevance 178 Chapter 7: Libertarian Socialist Economic Democracy in Late Modernity 181 Late Modernity and Socialisation 183 iv The Basic Income and Libertarian Socialism 186 Consumerism 189 State and Market Under Libertarian Socialism 194 Transition 199 Possible Criticisms 199 Neoliberalism and Ideology 203 Conclusion: Where now for the Political Sociology of Late Modernity? 209 The Three Tenets and Late Modernity 209 Bauman, Hermeneutics and the Question of „Political‟ Sociology 212 What does it all mean for Late Modernity? 215 References 217 v Acknowledgments I must confess to being a somewhat avid reader of acknowledgment pages. Part of me enjoys that one or two pages where the academic mask slips and you get to see some of the „real person‟. As a result I have noticed a divide in how such pages are constructed: on one side we have the „professional‟ acknowledgment page, listing the people who have read parts of the work, pointing out that the author is to blame for mistakes and thanking their department(s) for a period of leave (if they were so lucky). On the other side is the more „personal‟ page, this involves „namechecking‟ not just colleagues but friends, partners and family. These will also sometimes acknowledge intellectual inspirations and throw in some jokey asides. The writing of a PhD, not just an academic exercise but also a „life-stage‟ event, inevitably lends itself more to the latter of the two. This is lucky, because they‟re always the more interesting to read! I must start by thanking my supervisor: Luke Martell. This goes beyond the sometime formulaic thank you that all PhD students extend to their supervisor. Luke has been a supporting, yet critical, voice in this thesis since the very start, from the days of „how is it socialist?‟ through to „tell them what you‟re saying‟ onto „couldn‟t the state do that?‟ and finally back to „how is it socialist?‟ again. His support has been not only academic but personal and he has – I suspect entirely accidentally – taught me much concerning what „being an academic‟ should be about. I could not have asked for a better supervisor. My thanks also to my second supervisor, Darrow Schecter. This thesis is much stronger for his contributions and comments. I would also like to thank Alana Lentin and Ted Benton for making the viva as painless as possible, and for what were very useful and interesting comments. Especial thanks to Ted who stepped in at the last minute. My time at Sussex has been not only intellectually satisfying, but personally so, since it has given me the opportunity to meet some of the people I now count among my closest friends. Thanks to Charlie Masquelier for his friendship, including many evenings made up of good wine, good conversation and his inspiring conviction in the political value of social theory. Thanks also to Susie Scott for her friendship. I suspect one of my enduring memories from working on this thesis will be the laughter we shared and the common moments of musical fandom. Barbara Holler also deserves a thank you, for cupcakes, German sweets and her continued fascination with how English I am. I vi would also like to extend a big thank you to all the other people at Sussex I‟ve got to know through teaching and general departmental chats and who have been so supportive. This teaching has in fact been a major part of my time at Sussex, not just in time spent, but rather in sheer enjoyment. So, thanks to the convenors not already mentioned for having made teaching that little less nerve wracking (especially Catherine Will, who made teaching a methods course, whilst doing the final write-up, seem unproblematic!) and to the department itself for having given me the opportunities to teach. Thanks especially to all the students I‟ve had the pleasure of teaching over the last few years. My time would have been much less enjoyable and inspiring without the joy that comes from being in a seminar room with such motivated, intelligent, engaging and pleasant people as those who study sociology at Sussex. I miss those who have already left, and will miss those who remain when I move on. They helped remind me of the worth one can gain from academia. As a student, I had already received an important lesson in this from the exciting setting that is sociology at Essex. Thank you to my many tutors throughout my four years there, I hope I inspired the same love for sociology in my students as they did in me. Thanks also to Vuokko Härmä, who had a larger impact on my ability to start, do, and complete this thesis than she probably realises. Outside academia, I would like to extend a thank you to the friends and housemates who have been part of the last few years with me. Most notably: Ellie, Hannah, Ryan, Lavinia, Hannah G, Helen and Sarah. I feel any acknowledgements page for this particular piece of work should also list Zygmunt Bauman. My decision to dedicate my life to being a student of sociology was literally made with a copy of Liquid Love in my hands. One of the greatest joys of doing this thesis was reading the many texts I had not to that point come across. One of the great sorrows of finishing it is that I will never again have the chance to read them for the first time. But, the biggest thank you goes to my parents. Without their support (in many forms) this thesis simply would not have been produced. I can think of no stronger statement of gratitude. vii UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX Matt Dawson DPhil in Social and Political Thought A Libertarian Socialist Critique of the Political Sociology of Late Modernity This thesis argues that despite the proclamations within the sociological field of „late modernity‟, socialism is still of great relevance as both a form of critique, and as an alternative political model. Nevertheless, such an argument requires a refinement of both of the key terms. Firstly, via discussing the work of the three most prominent sociologists of late modernity (Zygmunt Bauman, Ulrich Beck and Anthony Giddens), this thesis argues that there have been significant changes with the shift to „late‟ modernity, most notably the, contested, emergence of „individualization‟.
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