Dilemmas and hesitations of late modernity and the emergence of the society of control

The objective of this study is to emphasize the fundamental points of the theoretical discussion about late modernity. In the two last decades, authors like Giddens, Beck, Bauman, Sennett and Garland have emphasized the social, historical and theoretical characterization of modernity in the advanced...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Souza, Luís Antônio Francisco de
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2010
Country:Brasil
Institution:Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL)
Repository:Mediações - Revista de Ciências Sociais
Language:Portuguese
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/8227
Online Access:https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/mediacoes/article/view/8227
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Late modernity
Post-modernity
Social theory
Biopolitics
Society of control
Modernidade tardia
Pós-modernidade
Teoria social
Biopolítica
Sociedade de controle
Description
Summary:The objective of this study is to emphasize the fundamental points of the theoretical discussion about late modernity. In the two last decades, authors like Giddens, Beck, Bauman, Sennett and Garland have emphasized the social, historical and theoretical characterization of modernity in the advanced occidental societies. This discussion, despite being indispensable, does not allow the comprehension of the problems of this new stage of occidental capitalism in terms of its technical dimension and social control. The article arguments in favor of the incorporation of analysis of Michel Foucault’s power and stresses its present reality and potential. This author renewed the theoretical possibilities of the human sciences as he criticized a naturalized view of History and historical events. The influence of his works, an analysis of modernity, may be observed in the debate around the crisis of modernity and the emerging society of control. At the same time, his work helps us understand the main dilemmas and hesitations of contemporary societies.