21 Liquid Modernity: Zygmunt Bauman

Saumya Saloni and Dev Pathak

1.  Introduction: 

What has been cut apart cannot be glued back together. Abandon all hope of totality, future as well as past, you who enter the world of fluid modernity (Bauman 2000: 22).

To bring order in the society modernity came into existence. Order making became the most important aim of modernity, to find a reliable foundation, to remove the vulnerability persisting in the society. The so-called order making process brought along uncertainties and contingency. Modernity‟s order making mission brought freedom of choices albeit insecurity and risk. Social events ceased to be explained by taking recourse to the supernatural and there was a victorious entry of man. Judgements were made purely on the basis of rational thinking. Modernity promised freedom, liberation and emancipation in every individual‟s life where they were supposed to be guided by reasons. Orderliness came along with homogeneity and negligible scope of diversity; everything and everybody had to be perfectly fit into the bowl of modernity. „The marriage between freedom and insecurity was prearranged and consummated on the wedding night; all subsequent attempts at separation proved vain, and the wedlock remained in force ever since‟ (Bauman 1992: 12).

Recent changes in society have led scholars to ponder on the changing social relationships, uncertainties and risks that have crept in the life of individuals in the 21st century and this makes scholars question as to whether we live in the era of postmodernity. Hence to capture this constant nature of change in society Bauman gives the term „liquid modernity‟. As nothing is constant, people are at move, keeping oneself updated with time has become one of the major concerns. Postmodernity says Bauman is a social system that challenged the classic modern era. It should be understood as something discontinuous with modernity. It is however a tough task to study these arising frictions due to increased rate of mobility in the time of modernity. Hence, postmodernity emerged as a rejection of the models taught by the modernity viz. individualism, freedom, liberty to  choose whereby society was deemed to be seen as a market.

By coining the term „liquid modernity‟, Bauman tries to encapsulate in a nutshell the characteristics of today‟s highly globalized and consumer societies. Boundaries have become fluid and we live in an age of uncertainty as in a globalized world grappling with contested and fragmented identities. Liquid modernity is a continuum of modernity or in other words one can say that liquid modernity is a developed version of modernity. Individuals are provided with multiple choices and freedom to choose in a consumer society, but this freedom of choice also creates a chaotic situation whereby an individual can move from one social position to another in a fluid manner. This freedom of mobility creates a hierarchy where affluent majority are benefited while the poor and marginalized are side- lined. Bauman provides us with a theoretical perspective of the condition of future of our society by coining the term liquid modernity, and engages with the dynamics of changing social relationships and loosening bonds between people (Bauman 2000).

Bauman (2000) has used the term „solid‟ and „liquid‟ in order to make a difference between two ears of modernity and postmodernity respectively, and liquid modernity is used for contemplating the contemporary scenario. It makes one inquisitive to pose a question: has Bauman used the term „liquid modernity‟ instead of „postmodernity‟ to criticize the failure of postmodernity as a counter force to modernity? Every one of us is busy making our self-identity, that leads to individuation and individuals are turned into consumers. Liquid modernity is in a relationship with modernity and has intensified in present time because of the growing consumerism and quest for identity. Poor people who are unable to keep up with the competition in the consumer market are kept out of the scenario. These poor people are supposed to be fit in this consumer society and the matter of being unemployed becomes  redundant.  There  is  no  government  institution  or  agency  to  solve  the  problem  of unemployment. One needs to be an effective purchaser of whatever is sold in the market. Consequently it is fundamental to understand the concept of liquid modernity given by Bauman where we find his sociological and philosophical reflections.

2.  Who is Zygmunt Bauman? 

Zygmunt Bauman is a world renowned Polish sociologist and philosopher. He is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Leeds; his main academic interests are ethics, political philosophy, Sociology, postmodernity and postmodern art. He is a well-known eminent social theorist who wrote on diverse issues like modernity and Holocaust, postmodern consumerism and liquid modernity. He was awarded the European Amalfi Prize for sociology in 1992, the Theodor W Adorno Award in 1998 and Prince of Asturias Award in 2010.

He was born to Jewish parents; his family had to escape to Soviet Union after Nazis invaded Poland. Bauman studied Sociology at the Warsaw Academy of Social Sciences. He had taken an active part in the battles of Kolberg and Berlin and was awarded the Military Cross of Valour. He was a communist since the outbreak of Second World War and in 1945 he joined a military internal security organization. Later he was dismissed from the military organization after which he went on to complete his Masters. From 1954 to 1968 he was a lecturer at the University of Warsaw. The anti- Semitic campaign in Poland forced him to renounce his Polish citizenship. Before accepting a chair in sociology at the University of Leeds in 1972, Bauman worked in Tel Aviv University.Though initially Bauman was close to orthodox Marxist doctrine, but after getting influenced by Antonio Gramsci and Georg Simmel he became critical of Poland‟s communist government.

Bauman‟s work addresses a number of common themes like globalization, modernity, postmodernity, consumerism and morality. He is a prolific writer and his famous work on Liquid modernity very well captures the fragmented nature of contemporary times where we are engrossed in searching our own identity and remain bothered by the instability in which we live in today‟s world as individuals. Private and public realms of life are kept separate where we deal with society as a whole in a contractual way. His book on liquid modernity also makes us aware of the demands to be fulfilled to survive in this era. Though we are provided with the choices yet it guarantees nothing. His work enlightens scholars and students to understand the process of individuation, loosening of social bonds and ponder upon the growing precariousness because of increase in globalization process.

3.  ‘Liquid Modernity’ 

3.1 Theoretical Framework 

Bauman (1992) says that basically modernity was in a desperate need of establishing a structure, everything had to be functional, and no vagabonds would fit in the structure. Hence to quote him, „In the city of reason, there were to be no winding roads, no cul-de-sacs and no unattended sites left to chance- and thus no vagabonds, vagrants or nomads‟ (Bauman 1992: 15). As man was empowered with mastery over nature there was no room for chaos, in order to prevent the precariousness modernity aimed at keeping a constant supervision on individuals, it was indeed the main feature of modernity. Bauman (1992) says that postmodernity is a state of mind that criticized the urgency brought by modernity but it has not been critical enough to refute the order-making and universalizing nature of modernity. „So the critical theory‟, according to Bauman, „confronts an object that seems to offer no more resistance; an object that has softened, melted and liquidised to the point that sharp edge of the critique goes through with nothing to stop it‟ (Bauman 1992: 9). It is in this milieu that Bauman gave the concept of liquid modernity.

Taking examples of postmodern art Bauman says that postmodern art led to levelling of hierarchies, questioning the dominant narratives that guided and ruled the society, it also was against the plurality that existed in the human world. Postmodern perspective of human world is a view of seeing plural meaning and autonomous agencies. Postmodernity is a shift from universalizing world view (aim of modernity) to agency of community. Sociologists have described postmodernity as a crisis of modernity; Bauman articulates they have failed to capture the essence of postmodernity as vistas of a wider transformation in society (Bauman 1992).

Fluid or liquid is used as a metaphor for explaining the present day scenario of permeable boundaries in the time of growing consumerism and globalization. The idiosyncratic characteristic of liquid is associated with the idea of „lightness‟. The term liquid modernity befits well when we wish to apprehend the pleasantly new phase in the history of modernity. In the present scenario although an individual gets freedom of choices yet this freedom comes with its own risk as there is no one to rely on. As individuals are concerned only about their private problems liquid modernity has brought certain cleavages in social relationships. One cannot deny the superficial change brought in our lives by liquid modernity (Bauman 1992, 2000)

Modernity is described as a fluid that has flown altogether from past to the present. Bauman (2000) says that globalization has led to a divide between power and politics, whereby power meant ability to do things and politics meant ability to decide which things to be done. Few centuries ago nation state consisted both power and politics. There was a reasonable expectation from the state government to have power and political institutions in order to decide over certain matters. But because of the creation of cyber space, power is no more vested in the hands of states but politics is still local. „The two young men with cellular telephones whom I watched at the airport bar might have been specimens (actual or aspiring) of that new, numerically small elite of the cyberspace residents thriving on the uncertainty of all things worldly, but the style of the dominant tend to become the dominant style- if not by offering an attractive choice, then at any rate by imposing a life-setting in which its imitation becomes simultaneously desirable and imperative, turning into a matter of self-satisfaction and survival‟(Bauman 2000: 154). Because of globalization there has been an increase in the flow of capital, finances, information. Everything is mobile and transcends the boundaries of a sovereign state. We tend to find a local solution for a global problem. Hence, we see a wide gap between power and politics.

Bauman highlights the role of powerful agencies in order to decide over the problems and steps that should be taken to eradicate the wide gap between power and politics. He talks about the change that fluid modernity has brought in the society and especially upon individuals. The advent of modernity can be traced by the relocating the relationship between time and space. Because of the advent of technologies and globalization there has been an increase in movement and the mechanism of application of power has been outside territorial limits. „In Panopticon, the inmates were tied to the place and barred from all movement, confined within thick, dense and closely guarded walls and fixed to their beds, cells or work-benches. They could not move because they were under watch; they had to stick to their appointed places at all times because they did not know, and had no way of knowing, where at the moment their watchers – free to move at will – were.‟ (Bauman 2000: 9).

Bauman (2000) asserts that 21st century society is no less modern as compared to society in 20thcentury; the only difference is that contemporary society is modern in its own way. By providing us with Caravan Park analogy he wants to state the process in which we interact with the society today. We as an individual have become self-critical and this is the result of transformation of society from heavy modernity to light modernity meaning we are confined to ourselves and engage with others in a very contractual manner.

This transformation from heavy to light modernity has brought changes in the public spaces, as by giving the example of panopticon and modern day cell phones Bauman (2000) assures the use of public spaces in a different manner as suggested by early critical theorists. He also arbitrates that in the liquid modernity era public spaces are preoccupied with private realms of life. Individuation is taking place due to which individual way of thinking is solely discussed without taking social problems in consideration and in turn this bleak individuation is hampering the empowerment of an individual.

Bauman (2000) compares heavy modernity with early capitalism whereby he says everything was supposed to be in order. He gives an example of Fordism model where the model was supposed to be controlled by the managers and it was seen as a giant fixed model of heavy machines and massive labour force. Then coming back to late or liquid modernity he says that capital is no more stable it flows instead, it provides us with a lot of choices and possibilities and we as consumers are caught amidst this uncertainty of choices. „Indeed there seemed to be no alternative to the Fordist factory and no serious hindrance to stave off the spread of the Fordist model to every nook and cranny of society‟ (Bauman 2000: 57).

Bauman suggests that individual are so concerned to put up their individual identity at the top that they get influenced by the products in the market, in a consumer society it becomes difficult for the poor to keep up with the pace of the development. Hence, Bauman wants to say that in today‟s time boundaries have become fluid and people are much concerned who are watching whom, and keeping oneself updated has become a lifestyle.

Consumer society does provide us with a lot of freedom but on the other hand it is not the way for emancipation. He says that consumer society has created a kind of stratification whereby mobility has become difficult for the poor. Public spaces have been turned into places that are privately controlled, are under fixed boundaries, always under watch or surveillance. Anyone who is supposed to be outside this privately owned space (e.g. stalkers) is seen as an intruder and hence we see that because of globalization the developments that take place it influences wealthy majority (rich) and minority (poor) in different ways.

Discussed below are some of the themes that are related to liquid modernity that will help in understanding the concept more clearly. I have dealt with four basic themes namely a) Duality of modernity b) global and local c) space and time d) individuals turned into consumers.

4.  Associated Themes 

4.1 Duality of Modernity 

In the book on „Modernity and the Holocaust‟ Bauman (2001) highlights the dual face of modernity. By dual face of modernity he means that on one hand, the period of Enlightenment promised emancipation, rationalization, development, moreover modernity was deemed to be a tool for a civilizing process, but the irony on the other hand that persists, is that, the developments of machines, gas chambers, bureaucracy led to events like the Holocaust. „We suspect (even if we refuse to admit it) that the Holocaust could merely have uncovered another face of the same modern society who‟s other, more familiar face we so admire‟ (Bauman 2001: 7).

By taking into account Weber‟s theory on bureaucracy and rationality Bauman (2001) arbitrates that Holocaust proved to be a failure of modernity. Bauman goes on to explain that most of the social thinkers could not highlight the other part of modernity and hence an event like Holocaust is just seen as a private affair in the life of Jews, and mere an event of the past to be studied in history books. It becomes a sorry state of affairs when a subject like sociology fails to capture the duality of modernity.

Modernity committed to lead a society that would be guided by reasons but events like Holocaust question the very foundation of modernity. Hence, Holocaust can be said to be the test of modernity. Taking the example of a garden, Bauman states that, modernity takes society as a garden that needs maintenance and proper care, unwanted plants should be removed as that can be harmful, hence to quote Bauman „behind the alliance stands fast the modern “gardening state”, viewing the society it rules as an object of designing, cultivating and weed-poisoning‟ (Bauman 1998: 13). Thus, in the age of liquid modernity where one is surrounded by uncertainties, events like Holocaust can occur in any part of the world.

4.2 Global and Local 

Bauman takes globalization as a starting point for explaining in detail its consequences on social relationships, gap between power and politics and what it means to live in an era of consumer society. As we know, globalization is most debated topic in public discourse as well as in social sciences. In his essay „On Glocalization: or Globalization for some, Localization for some Others‟ Bauman (1998) talks about glocalization which for him means the process of reassertion of the local in the midst of hybridity. He talks about the universalizing nature of globalization that would result in order-making. Order-making here means bringing improvement and change that would be able to interact with the global forces. He also asserts the power of state as an agency which controls the boundaries of certain territories. He talks about the global chaos, and to keep this chaos under control state keeps an eye on the local and is effectively controlled. Bauman suggests that glocalization and globalization are complimentary to each other. „Glocalization is first and foremost a redistribution of privileges and deprivations, of wealth and poverty, of resources and impotence, of power and powerlessness, of freedom and constraint‟ (Bauman 1998: 43)

Thus, we see that globalization and glocalization may seem to be inseparable but the population of the two parts of the world live on the different sides; some get the opportunity while others who are not capable of interacting to the global force are marginalized. Hence, globalization is a paradox while few get benefited the rest are secluded. Present day consumer society provides us with radical choices and lack of stability whereby issue of keeping up to one‟s identity becomes a critical concern. Identity thus is a modern concept; a resourceful person can have easy access to the multiple choices provided by the consumer society. The contemporary period of liquid modernity, results in silencing the voices of the marginalized and poor (Bauman 2000).

With the issue of identity also comes the idea of a nation state; nation state is the outcome of modernity. As we looked forward to the idea of a secular, progressive state, to have a central political order in order to have unified idea of nation amidst cultural diversity. But on the contrary the rising of the voice of marginalized, growing identity politics started contesting the progressive notion of modernity.

Thus, Bauman by giving the idea of liquid modernity tries to explain the failure of the grand narratives (emancipation, reasons, rationality) promised by modernity. It is true, that in the present time, when we see the interlinking of global and local, globalization effects international trade, spread of goods and flow of people by an increase in the process of migration. In any case globalization has led to polarization of resources and we are (mis)guided by anonymous forces.

4.3 Space and Time 

During the 20th century modernity focussed on the development and innovations. Basically the idea was to dominate the space, because of the advent of technologies there began the concept of conquering the space within no time. Bauman talks about the urban areas that are kept under high security that separates public life with private life. People do not interact with everyone; they only talk to those whom they think are alike. Poor and the marginalized are kept out of this so called private, high security, good environment society. Thus, gated communities are formed where stalkers are seen as demons that would interrupt their private space and hence put them into trouble. The use of technologies helped traverse the space in very less time. (Bauman, Z: 2000)

Because of these technological developments the value of space has been demeaned. Taking the example of public space like shopping malls, Bauman (2000) suggests that these public spaces are no more the spaces for interaction. The temporal and spatial annulment has led to polarization of people within their own shells. We do not find people interacting with each other; there is a feeling of „ otherness‟ implicit within.

One cannot deny the fact that globalization that is taking place has created a gap between haves and have nots. Because of domination over space, in less time, resources and wealth are placed in such a manner that it is available only for selected, well to do people in society. We need to take into account the changes in the time and space that have taken place due to the developments. Though western enlightenment came with the values of emancipation, developments and egalitarianism yet on the other hand, Bauman (2000) feared the principles of totalitarianism that people are under control, they have to be submissive and under surveillance. Hence, the moot point of the idea of totalitarian principle is latent in modernity. „That heavy/solid/condensed/systemic modernity of the critical theory era was endemically pregnant with the tendency towards totalitarianism‟ (Bauman 2000: 25)

4.4 Individuals Turned into Consumers 

The book „Liquid Love‟ (2003) written by Bauman clearly depicts the impact of globalization and growing consumerism in our day to day social relationships and interactions. This era of liquid modernity, even though it provides us with unlimited opportunities, has had an adverse effect on the individual, social relationships and society as a whole. Consumer society even though provides us with unlimited choices but promises or guarantees none. Whatever we buy from the market is unpredictable, this highly unpredictable characteristic of liquid modernity leads to insecurity i.e. insecurity of choices, individual, social bonds and relations. Bauman (2003) opines that the proper meaning of love has lost its value. It has been replaced by the feelings of insecurity, competition, expectations and anxiety.

As discussed above liquid modernity tends to create a chaotic situation whereby we are provided with more choices and but chained with uncertainties. In the highly escalating time of globalization and consumerism bonds and relationships are getting loosened. Personal identity has become fluid as there are lot of possibilities individuals have turned into consumers. Hence, liquid modernity provides us with illusory freedom. Bauman (2003) remarks that instead of living together, bound by love we tend to live with the feeling of competition. Freedom of choice has turned an individual as consumer. We are endowed with the freedom and liberty of choices but it is also tied up with the feeling of insecurity and risk.

Bauman (2000) talks about the increasing desires of people that is created by consumer society and that in turn these opportunities provided to us never satisfies or fulfils our desires. Consumer society has been ruling the people. Bauman says that we buy commodities from the shopping mall and when it gets depreciated we tend to replace it, rather than repairing it. We apply the same logic in our everyday social relationships and this highlights the fluidity of love itself. Also, modernity led to a making of different class of people i.e. refugees and migrants. They are considered to be „wasted lives‟ and are seen as an unavoidable factor and hindrance to economic progress and order making.

In a highly consumer society there is no room for these minority groups. Modernity led to the cleansing of ethnic groups and religious groups who were seen as a threat to the establishment of order. He very well uses the metaphor of garden to explain this phenomenon as discussed in the section on duality of modernity and makes it clear through the example of holocaust.

5.  Conclusion 

In this module we have tried discussing some of the major aspects related to „liquid modernity‟. The term „liquid modernity‟ used by Zygmunt Bauman however captures the increasing anxieties and ambiguities in highly globalized and consumer society. It becomes critical to understand the changes that our society is undergoing. Thus, Bauman very well tries to make us recognize the situation of present times by making us aware of the changing relationships, uncertainties brought by globalization, difference between power and politics and quest for identity.

The module deals with the precariousness arising from intensified globalized and consumer society. These uncertainties however widely discussed by Bauman do not provide us with the solution to deal with them in present scenario. The vulnerability arising by such uncertainties are pretty clear.

Zygmunt Bauman‟s contribution to scholarship through the attempt of explaining the changing nature of human relationship, constant competition, individuation, increasing efficiency and contesting identities in the age of intensified globalized and consumer society have enriched the thoughts of students and scholars. It has also helped us realize and reflect upon this dubiousness of liquid modernity in today‟s time.

6.  Summary 

The following points of importance can be gathered from this chapter :

• Bauman addresses the nuances of social change by highlighting the interplay of solid and liquid modernity. Hence, Bauman finds liquid modernity as an apt term to replace the umbrella term of postmodernity, to address the wide variety of social transformations. Bauman arbitrates that liquid modernity is a continuum of modernity.
• Bauman was concerned with the fluid world created by globalization that led him coin the term liquid modernity that addresses the inadequacies of solid modernity. To make the term solid modernity crystal clear, Bauman addresses the example of panopticon that depicts a centralized power where everyone was under control and surveillance.
• The unintended consequence of globalization is disintegration of social bonds and relationships.
• As individual is granted with all possible freedom it would be imprudent to deny that liquid modernity has brought an end to community life.
• Public and private lives have been redefined where private problems are to be kept separated from public issues. This gap between public and private has led to subjugation of individual and individual agency is left with negligible power to act. „Ours is an experience akin to that of the airline passengers who discover, high in the sky, that the pilot‟s cabin is empty‟ (Bauman 2000: 133).
• Modernity  resulted  in  order-making  and  economic  progress,  this  orderliness  and  economic progress led to a chaotic reality. Modernity led to migration of people from one place to another, this led to the formation of an ambience of uncertainty. Nothing can be under control, even in the context of nation states these uncertainties like terrorism, growing consumerism, individuality etc. are beyond the control of local governments. These uncertainties (natural disasters, losing of factories, and collapse of stock markets) of the era that we live in have inculcated fear within us; we are ignorant and unaware of what will happen at the next moment. Any move that we take in order to stabilize ourselves might lead to some opposite consequences.
• As discussed above we live in the age of uncertainties as consumers in postmodern society which Bauman addresses  as  consumer  society.  Consumer  society  creates  a  feeling  of  desire  and temptation within us.
• People are always on the move and this mobility divides society into different strata. Hence, refugees, migrants, poor and marginalized have no place in the society; they are turned into redundant categories. They do not have an easy access to certain commodities and cannot traverse space and time.
• The use of the term Liquid  modernity aptly captures  these uncertainties and ambiguities of contemporary era. „There is a wide growing gap between the condition of individuals de jure and their chances to become individual de facto- that is, to gain control over their fate and make the choices they truly desire‟ (Bauman 2000: 39).

7.  References

1. Bauman, Zygmunt. Intimations of Postmodernity: London: Routledge, 1992.
2. Bauman, Zygmunt. „On Glocalization: or Globalization for some, Localization for some Others‟, Thesis Eleven 54, no. 1(1998): 37-49.
3. Bauman, Zygmunt. Liquid Modernity. Cambridge: Polity press, 2000.
   1. – Modernity and the Holocaust. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 200
   2. – Liquid love On the Frailty of Human Bond Cambridge: Polity press, 2003.
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7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PRV8fTN3WQ)  (Last accessed on 27th August, 2014)