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BACKGROUND: A guest of UC Berkeley's School of Social Welfare, Giddens is the author of 35 books published in more than 30 languages. In recent years, he has turned from sociological theory to its policy applications. His book "Runaway World: How Globalization Is Shaping Our Lives," (Routledge, 2000) explores the risks of globalization and its effects on family, tradition and democracy. "In a globalizing world, where information and images are routinely transmitted across the globe, we are all regularly in contact with others who think differently and live differently," he writes. "Cosmopolitans welcome and embrace this cultural complexity. Fundamentalists find it disturbing and dangerous. Whether in the areas of religion, ethnic identity, or nationalism they take refuge in a renewed and purified tradition - and, quite often, violence."
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