Each chapter in this unique collection takes seriously Bauman's analysis of modernity as 'liquid', throwing new light upon global social problems, as well as opening up a space for assessing the nature of Bauman's contribution to sociology, and for understanding what may be gained and lost by embracing an artistic sensibility within the social sciences. With contributions from internationally renowned scholars, this book will appeal to all those interested in Bauman's work, especially within sociology, social, political and cultural theory, and to anyone curious about the value of metaphor in interpreting the social world.

Mark Davis is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Leeds, UK. He is the founder and Director of the Bauman Institute, the author of Freedom and Consumerism: A Critique of Zygmunt Bauman's Sociology and co-editor of Bauman's Challenge: Sociological Issues for the Twenty-First Century.

Chapter 1 Liquid Sociology - What For?, MarkDavis; Chapter 2 Blurring Genres, Michael HviidJacobsen; Chapter 3 Bauman's Challenge, AntonyBryant; Chapter 4 Bauman's Travels, KieranFlanagan; Chapter 5 'Welcome to the Hotel California', MarkFeatherstone; Chapter 6 The Heineken Effect, Paul A.Taylor; Chapter 7 On the Liquidity of Evil, RossAbbinnett; Chapter 8 Strangers, 'Others' and the Unstable Metaphors of Race Representation in Liquid Modernity, SimonWeaver; Chapter 9 Risk, Nichtwissen and Fear, GabeMythen, SandraWalklate; Chapter 10 From 'Solid' Producers and Consumers to 'Liquid' Prosumers, GeorgeRitzer, P.J.Rey; Chapter 11 The Question of a Sociological Poetics, JanetWolff; Chapter 12 'Metaphormosis', Michael HviidJacobsen; Chapter 13 Conclusion, PeterBeilharz;