Richard Sennett
Richard Sennett
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Richard Lloyd Sennett is a British-American sociologist, philosopher, and public intellectual.
Birth and Death Dates
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Born on November 3, 1943, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Still active and alive as of this writing.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Sennett holds dual citizenship of the United Kingdom and the United States. He is a prominent sociologist, philosopher, and public intellectual known for his works on sociology, philosophy, and culture.
Early Life and Background
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Sennett was born to a Jewish family in Chicago. His father was an engineer and a musician, and his mother was a writer. Sennett's early life was marked by a strong interest in music and literature. He began playing the piano at age five and developed a passion for reading and writing. After graduating from high school, he attended Harvard University on a scholarship.
Major Accomplishments
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Sennett's academic career spans over five decades. He has taught at several prestigious institutions, including Harvard University, New York University, and London School of Economics. Sennett is best known for his influential works on the concept of "alienation" in modern society. He has also made significant contributions to the fields of sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies.
Notable Works or Actions
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Some of Sennett's notable books include:
The Fall of Public Man (1977) - A critique of modern society's emphasis on privacy and individualism.
Authority (1980) - An exploration of the concept of authority in modern society.
* The Culture of the New Capitalism (2006) - A study of the impact of neoliberal capitalism on modern culture.
Sennett has also been involved in various public intellectual endeavors, including serving as a contributing editor to The New Republic and writing for The New York Review of Books.
Impact and Legacy
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Richard Sennett's work has had a significant impact on various fields, including sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies. His critiques of modern society have influenced scholars and policymakers around the world. Sennett's ideas about alienation, authority, and culture continue to be relevant today, offering insights into the complexities of modern life.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Sennett's influence extends beyond academia to the wider public sphere. His work has been widely quoted in publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Financial Times. As a public intellectual, Sennett continues to engage with contemporary issues, offering thought-provoking perspectives on topics like inequality, cultural identity, and global politics.
Quotes by Richard Sennett
Tocqueville saw the brute repression of deviants as a necessity if men were to keep convincing themselves of their collective dignity through their collective sameness. The “poets of society,” the men who challenged the norms, would have to be silenced so that sameness could be maintained.
The rise of the bourgeoisie” is a hackneyed phrase, so much so that one historian has been moved to comment that the only historical constant is that the middle classes are always everywhere rising.
Developments in high technology reflect an ancient model for craftsmanship, but the reality on the ground is that people who aspire to be good craftsmen are depressed, ignored, or misunderstood by social institutions. These ills are complicated because few institutions set out to produce unhappy workers. People seek refuge in inwardness when material engagement proves empty; mental anticipation is privileged above concrete encounter; standards of quality in work separate design from execution.
The past was in them, still disturbing but no longer a governing history; the trauma strengthened the convictions they possessed about how to lead their lives.
The top managers are defensive about these departures; they point to how safe, attractive, and up-to-date the workplace is. Rodney Everts is less defensive but equally perplexed. “When somebody tells me there’s no future here, I ask what they want. They don’t know; they tell me you shouldn’t be stuck in one place.” Fortunately, the job market in Boston for low-wage workers is strong at the moment, but there is something puzzling about the sheer impulse to get out.
The pleasures of relaxed chat, of casual conversation, encourage the ethnographer in everyone.
Like the Roman town grid, the New York plan was laid down on largely empty land, a city designed in advance of being inhabited; if the Romans consulted the heavens for guidance in this effort, the city fathers of New York consulted the banks.