The chapter argues that weaknesses in Anthony Giddens’s later work on “third-way” politics are a consequence of its neglect of the best instincts of his earlier, seminal work on structuration theory. The argument proceeds through reflective exposition and analysis of successive stages of Giddens’s writings, from the structuration theory and historical sociology of the 1970s and 1980s, through his wide-ranging and profound theoretical insights into radicalized modernity in the 1990s, to his subsequent strategic interventions in contemporary politics. The essay concludes by making the case for an alternative, more progressive politics grounded in a stronger version of structuration theory.

Rob Stones is Professor of Sociology in the School of Social Sciences, Western Sydney University, Australia. In 2005 he published Structuration Theory (Palgrave Macmillan), which developed the approach of strong structuration theory (SST) to inform empirical case study research. Recent publications include: Key Sociological Thinkers, 3rd edition (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017); and, coauthored with Bryan S. Turner, “Successful Societies: Decision-Making and the Quality of Attentiveness,” The British Journal of Sociology (2020).