Anthony Giddens is known for his theory of structuration and his holistic vision of contemporary society. He studied at the “University of Hull”, then at the “London School of Economics”, and obtained a doctorate from “King’s College”, Cambridge. At the “University of Leicester”, one of the cradles of English sociology, he taught and began to develop his own theories. He has held professorships and chairs in prestigious institutions, and co-founded the publishing house Polity Press.

Anthony Giddens was one of British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s principal advisors. He conceived the “Third Way” political approach, giving rise to the current of ideas known as “Blairism”. He was also an advisor to Bill Clinton and José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero at the turn of the millenium. Anthony Giddens is a regular contributor to political debate in the UK as well as to the think tank “Policy Network”.

Author of 34 books and over 200 articles, essays and reviews, he has contributed to most of the significant developments in the social sciences in recent decades. His writings range from the treatment of abstract, metatheoretical problems, to student textbooks. Due to his interdisciplinary approach, he is equally interested in the latest advances in sociology, psychology, history, linguistics, economics, social work, and political science.

In his theory of structuration, Anthony Giddens explores the question of whether it is individuals or social forces that form social reality. In his view, to examine the structuring of a social system is to examine the ways in which the system, through the application of generic rules and resources, is reproduced in social interactions.

Knighted by the Queen of England in 2004, he holds the title of Baron Giddens and sits in the House of Lords, representing the Labour Party.