Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty

Zygmunt Bauman

Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007. 115 pp. (paper)

ISBN 0745639879

Review and Commentary

Author’s Information:
Hamid Yeganeh, MBA, MSC, PHD
Assistant Professor of International Management
College of Business, Winona State University,
Minnesota, USA, 55987.5838
Contact: hyeganeh@winona.edu
Tel: 507-457-2453

Dr. Yeganeh is assistant professor of international management at Winona State University in

Minnesota, USA. His research focuses on cross-cultural/comparative management and
organizational theory. His work has appeared in the leading journals such as International
Journal of HRM, International Journal of Cross-Cultural Management, International Journal of
Commerce and Management, International Journal of Conflict Management, Gender in
Management, Personnel Review, and Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal.
 Liquid Times: Living in an Age of Uncertainty

Zygmunt Bauman

Cambridge: Polity Press, 2007. 115 pp. (paper)

ISBN 0745639879

Introduction

In “Liquid Times”, Zygmunt Bauman offers a profound, lucid, and especially pessimistic

analysis of globalization and its implications at the individual and societal levels. The author

coins the term “Liquid Times” to underline the insecurity and uncertainty facing the citizens of a

modern world. According to Bauman, a liquid globalized society is marked by change,

uncertainty, flux, conflict, and revolution.

More specifically, Bauman identifies five main dire consequences of globalizations that are

changing our lives. The chief consequence of globalization is described as the passage from the

“solid” to the “liquid” phase marked by instability, ambiguity and fear. The second consequence

of globalization is about the separation between politics and power. Prior to globalization, each

individual country could satisfy local political issues, but due to globalization, the nation States

are losing the capacity to manage their domestic affairs. The third outcome of globalization is the

creation of nebulous, random networks of people. The fourth issue is about the prevalence of

short-sightedness which may be attributed to the fast pace of technological innovation. Finally,

the fifth consequence of globalization is the daily challenge of individuals in dealing with an

ever changing environment.

2
Liquid Times

In chapter one, Bauman elaborates on the concept of fear in a globalized society, and describes

those business leaders and politicians who capitalize on the people’s fear to offer a wide range of

temporary reliefs (p.12). For instance, politicians and the media, especially after the September

11th have been amplifying the fear of global terrorism to push their agendas (p.15). According to

Bauman, the major task of the modern state is becoming management of fear rather than

distribution of wealth.

In chapter two Bauman elaborates on the implications of negative globalization and describes

how human waste and the waste of humans themselves are affecting the world. While

globalization apparently leads to lower barriers among countries, Bauman blames it for a wide

range of vicious effects such as deregulation, poverty, injustice, conflict, and violence (p.7). In

his view, the capitalist globalization is consolidating wealth and power by the rapid integration

and structuring of national economies into one global economic order through trade

liberalization, privatization and deregulation. Bauman maintains that capitalism produces “the

acute crisis of the human waste disposal industry, as each new outpost conquered by capitalist

markets adds new thousands or millions to the mass of men and women already deprived of their

lands, workshops, and communal safety nets” (p. 28). Under these circumstances, refugees and

job seekers move around the world. Bauman nicely uses the metaphor ‘‘humanity waste’’ to

describe the miserable conditions of those undesired individuals without state, identity, property,

and documents.

Chapter three discusses the role of the State and the value of democracy in the management of

the“liquid modern” fears. Bauman believes that individualism is another result of globalization

3
and people are often left to deal with highly complex problems without the necessary capacity or

tools (p.14). Furthermore, he argues that due to globalization, nation-states are losing control

over their domestic affairs and consequently, power and politics are moving away from each

other, meaning that ultimately democracy and freedom are compromised.

In chapter four, Bauman examines the implications of globalization for our physical environment

namely our architecture and urban centers. He explains that cities originally represented

relatively safe places, but nowadays are filled with fear and insecurity. He compares the modern

city to a warzone and maintains that “sources of danger have now moved almost wholly into

urban areas and settled there” (p.72). The modern cities are creating separations from the high

class and the low class because of the insecurities people hold when dealing with strangers.

Homes are no longer built to integrate people and communities; they are built to serve protection

to the people who live in them. He also explains how the elites are globally connected and have

much more familiarity with remote places than with their local communities. He reflects on the

main features of urban areas and argues that our cities ‘‘have become the dumping ground for

globally conceived and gestated problems’’ (p. 83). He uses two terms “mixophobia” and

“mixophilia” to discuss the contradictory feelings of city life.

In chapter five, Bauman discusses the prospects of utopia in the age of uncertainty. He maintains

that in liquid times the utopia is out of reach since globalization has created much instability and

insecurity. Individuals are feeling anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Moreover, since things are more

and more changing, individuals are forced to constantly adapt themselves to new ways and

redefine their identities. Most people have to focus on the fight against losing. They have to try

to stay among the hunters; otherwise they will become one of the hunted. Hunting consumes a

4
lot of energy and attention and leaves little time for anything else. Under these circumstances,

Bauman views consumerism as an illusory utopia in an endless pursuit of self-realization which

may divert our attention and provide a momentary relief from our malaise. He cynically

mentions that measures such as changing job or residence, promiscuity, alcohol or drug

consumption, travel and vacation, and even psychoanalysis cannot bring us peace of mind.

Concluding Remarks

Bauman’s views are similar to those of other authors who maintain that we are living in a new

era marked by spatial and temporal dismemberment (e.g. Giddens, 1998, 1991; Beck, 1998,

1992; Harvey, 2005; Nowotny, 1994; Sennett, 1998; Zoll, 1988), but he clearly paints a much

bleaker picture of the globalized world. The major causes of these profound changes may be

attributed to globalization as a whole and the new information technologies which replace

experiences of linearity and spatiality by simultaneity and hyper-reality.

Bauman solely chooses to reflect on the modern ills, to ask questions, and to criticize the

consequences of the negative globalization. He does not provide any possible solutions or even

alternatives. His propositions are abstract, gloomy, and sometimes inflated. Indeed, readers could

benefit from some moderate positions. For instance, the dissatisfaction with the modern world is

not a direct consequence of globalization; rather it may be considered as an inevitable

characteristic of human nature. In his previous writings, Bauman (2001) himself emphasized this

issue by citing Pascal that “all unhappiness comes from one thing – the inability of human beings

to stay quietly in their rooms” (Bauman, 2001). Similarly, Bauman agreed with Montaigne that

5
“of all the pleasures we know of, their pursuit is the most pleasurable” (Bauman, 2001).

Previously, the author had argued that the dissatisfaction with life stems from our human

condition as mortal and miserable (Bauman, 2001). Therefore, considering globalization as the

main cause of desolation in the modern world seems untenable and unjustified. By the same

logic, the argument that consumerism and its implications are the direct results of globalization

can be refuted. We may argue that consumerism is a consequence of wealth creation that can

exist with or without globalization. The author blames the liquid modern society for creating

change, uncertainty, and fear, but we may view it as a source of excitement and happiness as

well.

Likewise, Bauman does not see any substantial positive effects in globalization. He blames

globalization for creating poverty, unemployment, injustice, inequality, and waste. While

globalization is the cause of many ills, it has led to many other positive consequences that have

been overlooked in Bauman’s analysis. For example, it is difficult to deny that globalization has

led to job creation in many developing countries such as China, India, Brazil, and Bangladesh.

Hard evidence indicates that as a result of globalization and outsourcing, the standard of living in

these countries has risen dramatically. Globalization is a complex phenomenon with many

dissimilar and even contradictory implications. Therefore, a well-managed globalization process

can be a powerful force for economic growth and prosperity (Stiglitz, 2003).

Similarly, the Bauman’s criticism with regard to insecurity and anxiety could be moderated.

Indeed, we do not have any objective yardstick to gauge the level of anxiety of individuals

during our time and compare it with that of previous generations. It is true that news stations

such as Fox News and CNN are injecting insecurity in our daily lives and show live stories about

terrorist groups. However, we should keep in mind that, as Bauman himself has mentioned these

6
practices have been very common through history (p.18-19). In other words, capitalizing on fear

has always been an effective strategy in business and politics and it cannot be considered as a

characteristic of globalization.

Overall, Bauman’s “Liquid Times” represents a highly insightful, stylish, and intellectually

enriching book that can be beneficial for all scholars in different areas of social sciences such as

business and cultural studies. In a time when we are bombarded with superficial accounts of

globalization, Bauman’s standpoint is much needed. He paints a gloomy picture of the

globalization, but perhaps this striking pessimism makes his writing even more attractive and

elegant. After all, as the French writer Paul Valéry noticed, optimists are not good writers 1 and

the great literature is often a result of great pain.

1
Les optimistes écrivent mal.

7
References

Bauman, Z. (2007). Liquid times: living in an age of uncertainty. Cambridge: Polity.

Bauman, Z. (2001). Consuming life, Journal of consumer culture, 1 (9) p.9–29.

Beck, U. (1998). The politics of risk society, In: J. Franklin, ed. The politics of risk society,

Cambridge: Polity Press, 9–22.

Beck, U. (1992). The risk society, London: Sage.

Giddens, A. (1998). The third way: the renewal of social democracy, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and self-identity, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Harvey, D. (2005). A brief history of neoliberalism, New York: Oxford University Press.

Nowotny, H. (1994). Time: the modern and postmodern experience, Cambridge: Polity Press.

Sennett, R. (1998). The corrosion of character, New York: W.W. Norton.

Stiglitz, J.E. (2003). Globalization and growth in emerging markets and the New Economy,

Journal of Policy Modeling, 25. 505–524

Valéry, P. (1941). Mauvaises pensées et autres, Dijon : Les Cahiers du sud : Librairie José Corti,

1941.

Zoll, Rainer (1989). Nicht so wie unsere Eltern! Ein neues kulturelles Modell? (Not as Our

Parents! A New Cultural Model?). Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag.