HobbyPrincess blog

Giddens: Why not preventive action against environmental threats?

In a public lecture “The Future of World Society: American Empire?" at LSE today, the world famous sociologist (and social democrat) Anthony Giddens says he likes jokes about George W. Bush. Unlike many other great sociologists, he also likes to refer to good books written by someone else than himself. This is what Giddens seem to have read recently:

-Huntington, Samuel (2004): Who Are We - the Challenges to America’s National Identity.
-Robert Kagan (2003): Of Paradice and Power: America and Europe in the New World Order.
-Niall Ferguson (2004): Colossus: the Rise and Fall of the American Empire
-Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri (2000): Empire.
-Emmanuel Todd (2002): After the Empire — The Breakdown of the American Order.
-Michael Mann (2003): Incoherent Empire.
-Gerald Swanson (2004): America the Broke: How the Reckless Spending of the White House and Congress are Bankrupting our Country and Destroying our Children’s Future
-John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge (2004): The Right Nation: Conservative Power in America.

And he still likes jokes about Bush!!!

Symptoms of shop stop

It started this spring, in San Francisco. I had packed my suitcase full of warm clothes trusting in the weather forecast, which predicted chilly week in California. It was not chilly at all - on the contrary, it was as hot as it can get during the best summer period in Finland. As I needed desperately some summer clothes, I went shopping in San Francisco. Or at least that was my intention.
But before I knew anything a mysterious shop stop had sneaked into my veins. Despite of my efforts, I could not purchase anything. No, not a thing!!
I went to get some help – first from my spouse, then a female colleague traveling with me. No good: I still didn’t get interested in anything. Instead, I got frustrated and behaved impolitely to the shop assistants. Every time I tried to approach the counter with a garment in my hand, a mysterious disgust struck me.

The second time I experienced similar symptoms was later in this fall in the beautiful Andalucia. There, I was absolutely stunned by the rich exposure of the Sevillian escaparates on the narrow, labyrinth-like alleys, the color splendour of the Andalucian textiles, and the glory of the Spanish femininity. Still, as to buying an outfit for myself – impossible. This time I started to doubt that my shop stop was a sign of something else, a larger issue taking shape in my head.

It's not that I have lost my interest in design and fashion, quite the contrary. Different materials, fabrics, textures, and production techniques seem to offer a totally facinating route for better understanding ourselves as social beings! Indeed, it is my view of fashion and design that has changed. An interest in purchasing has transformed into an interest in creating.

NEW: Creative Powers Society at LSE

A tentative program for the Michaelmas term:

Late october:
Man’s Creative Powers -Released or Limited?
A lecture and discussion on Marx’s concept of “man’s creative powers” at the British Museum. Drinks afterwards in Marx’s favorite pub.

Early November:
London, the creative city number one?
Presentation and discussion on a recent initiative by the World Creative Forum at the London Design Center.

Late November:
III Creative Class: Included or excluded?
A less formal discussion based on Richard Florida’s Book: Creative Class in some of the London’s many cool places.

Early December:
IV From Consumption to Participation: The Future of Tools
Introduction by a development manager in company N. Continuing as a Little Christmast Party!

To subscribe, send e-mail to u.mutanen at lse.ac.uk.