Blog 12

I find it interesting how time can change so drastically and how much modernity has come to dominate our society. I read that the beginning of this idea of modernity started when Capitalism was becoming more common in our society. Individuals in pre-modern society were more concerned for the well being and the state of the family. Now in modern society the concern is more focused on the economic state between individuals and businesses. I fear the state of our society in my future and how much more capitalism and modernity will affect my life.

On page 368 I found a powerful yet interesting quote that says, "Modernity is not an engine made up of integrated machinery, but one in which there is a tensionful, contradictory, push-and-pull of different influences." I agree with his statement, modernity is unpredictable and we can never expect this idea to stay constant like a machine or system. There are many factors that will make modernity different each day. For example the idea of capitalism. Each day businesses are trying to gain a profit and there is no consistent profit. Each year is different or even each day.

Giddens' then goes to explain the four frameworks of experience in modernity:
1. Displacement and reembedding- the intersection of estrangement and familiarity.
2. Intimacy and impersonality-the intersection of personal trust and impersonal ties.
3. Expertise and reappropration- the intersection of abstract systems and day-to-day knowledge ability
4. Privatism and engagement- the intersection of pragmatic acceptance and activism.

This to me explains Giddens phenomenology of his experience with modernity. He is describing that in order to have this modernity there needs to be familiarity between the two to understand how it works. In a sense there also needs to be an equilibrium of the two to modernity can work.

I thought this was a good example of our modern life. We cannot get away from technology and work.