Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty

Social commentary of late has been extremely emotional and in many instances harsh in its critique of contemporary times. Out-of-control technology is frequently blamed for the malaise and uncertainties in life and work. It would seem that many are intimidated by the rapid social change that hyper-accelerated technological advance induces. The author of this book should not be classified as one of these, even though he might eventually become one. A careful reading of this book gives ample evidence that he will be making the transition in the near future. But for now, his commentary is interesting and rich, if sometimes overly abstract and excessively dramatic. His justifications certainly do not qualify as scientific, for no attempt is made to identify which samples of people do indeed have the attitudes he imputes to them. Pure opinions therefore proliferate, which may irritate some readers while titillating others. The author's thesis, loosely stated and following a rough analogy to the phase transitions of physical theory, is that "developed" areas of the world are undergoing a transition from a "solid" to a "liquid" phase. The solid phase can be characterized as one that the modern conservative has extreme nostalgia for: social structures or "community" that constrain individual behavior, that encourage uncritical adulation of social hierarchies, and that quickly suppress any attempt at alteration of these structures. The liquid phase is characterized by institutions that are always changing, and fail to keep their form for a long enough time to induce respect or comfort the humans who dwell in them. Personal commitments are short-lived or non-existent. There is simply not enough time to maintain them consistently. The liquid phase induces uncertainty and therefore anxiety: humans the author seems to believe cannot deal effectively with such rapid change. If one is to have opinions without supporting evidence, it is easy to believe the author's thesis. Indeed, it seems today's workplace has every sign of melting down, of making the transition to the liquid phase: one does not have a career, but rather a collection of tasks to be completed. One cannot own a home, or anything like furniture or dishes, but rent from month to month (or week to week). One must always be ready to move at a moment's notice, not to take a new job or start a new career, for "career" is a concept of relevance only to the solid phase, but to take up a new collection of tasks. These tasks may be completely different than the ones before them, and require expertise or insight that must be obtained rapidly or on-the-fly. Success is therefore piecemeal, and one cannot rely on history as a guide. Indeed, following history may be more of a detriment than a prescription for action. The author of this book calls people who seek novelty and adventure "hunters" and he invites the reader to consider that such individuals do so in order to seek a "radical cure for the sorro

This book is a quick exploration of the main causes/symptoms that make our present lives uncertain and full of fears. Fragmentation, instability, lack of structure, absence of universal projects, and individual responsibility as the only venue for our social and global problems are the main characteristics of our new reality. As a consequence, we live in fear. Politics and advertising exploit this weakness, fueling a vicious cycle from which we try--seldom successfully--to escape: the more we fear, the more we are subject to feel unstable and the more we suspect anything and anyone who might present a risk to our individual situation. We fear because we know we are not in control anymore. Consequently, we reject and protect ourselves from strangers, migrants, or the unemployed, who represent not only the disturbing presences of the uncanny, but also a symbolic abyss that opens in front of us. We react by limiting their access to our social and urban space, by withdrawing into individual isolation, and by consuming readily disposable products and symbols. Zygmunt Bauman does not believe that this is a long-term solution. The author does not elaborate on clear alternatives to this situation except when at the beginning of the book (p. 26) he mentions, almost in passing, the need to seek a planetary solution to our democracies. The book is divided in 5 sections ("Introduction: Bravely into the Hotbed of Uncertainties," "Liquid Modern Life and its Fears," "Humanity on the Move," "State, Democracy and the Management of Fears," "Out of Touch Together," and "Utopia in the Age of Uncertainty"). I find the last section the least interesting because of its vagueness. Although the writing is engaging, not all the quotes are fully documented; for instance, many times the author's name will be included but not the work and the page numbers.

"Liquid Times" offers a brilliant series of thoughts about postmodern life by master philosopher/sociologist Zygmunt Bauman. This accessible book succinctly introduces the reader to Mr. Bauman's theories about the passage from the "solid" phase of welfare statism to the "liquid" phase of neoliberalism which have rightly earned the author international acclaim and recognition, particularly among activists in the anti-globalization movement. In this highly rewarding book, Mr. Bauman shares some of his knowledge gained from over eighty years of high-level scholarship and diverse life experiences, rewarding the reader with a number of unique, compelling and penetrating insights into our postmodern condition. Mr. Bauman contends that as multinational corporations have wrested economic power from state control, individuals have born the cost of change: the evisceration of the social safety net compels individuals to sink or swim. Mr. Bauman describes how urban elites have become disconnected from the working class, residing in tightly-controlled enclaves of security while the masses have been left behind to fend for themselves in slums or crime-ridden shantytowns. As globalization depletes resources and produces prodigious amounts of human waste, the author believes that refugee camps represent only the most severe manifestation of the permanency of transience, as unwanted populations are forever stranded in a 'nowhereville' of non-citizenship. Indeed, Mr. Bauman asserts that the state finds newfound legitimacy in law enforcement and militarization. While the reality of increasing economic insecurity has compelled many individuals to assuage their anxieties by increasing discipline over mind, body and physical environment, the state incarcerates those who are unable to adopt and attacks others who might threaten us. In this manner, the state serves the interests of the powerful by protecting property rights; meanwhile, the social rights that are most needed by the poor are almost never seriously considered. In the final chapter, Mr. Bauman discusses how consumerism offers individuals the illusory utopia of the endless pursuit of self-realization. Mr. Bauman contrasts the "hunter" who lives within this fantasy with the "gardener" who attempts to cultivate a more humane and sustainable world for all. Discovering that the utopian concept is today most often seized upon by marketers than by idealists, the author brilliantly connects the seduction of the market economy with public passivity and a general lack of outrage within the industrialized nations for what the advent of corporate rule has come to mean for most of the world's people. I give this masterwork the highest possible recommendation.