1a. Giddens suggests that we are able to live in a modern world because we have

Question

1a. Giddens suggests that we are able to live in a modern world because we have trust in abstract systems. He gives the examples of withdrawing money from an ATM or boarding a plane. Pick another example of trust in an abstract system that is required for your own modern life. Has this trust ever been broken?

1b. “Is the search for self-identity a form of somewhat pathetic narcissism, or is it, in some part at least, a subversive force in respect of modern institutions?...The outside world only enters it here; it is an outside world vastly more extensive in character than anyone would have had contact with in the pre-modern era.” (Giddens, p. 520).

Explanation / Answer

1a. Government is another example of an abstract system which people trust and elect members of the government believing that they would do some good. This trust has been broken plenty of time because political promises are like sand castles and lies.

1b. Most of the people today in search of their self is actually losing themselves with the help of the social networking sites. As new self-images are popularized through popular media, people try to wear a mask and act according to situation and if we look at the profile pictures, most of them are fake. People start wearing a mask and at the end, they forget their own face. They try to change their physical, behavioural and emotional self to something called ideal self thus getting frustrated at the end of the day because they can’t act for a life time.

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