Prof. Dr. Ulrich Beck is a German sociologist at Munich University. He studies modernization, individualization and globalization.
From 1966 onwards he studied sociology, philosophy, psychology and political science at Munich University. In 1972 he finished studies as PhD and worked as sociologist at Munich University. In 1979 he received the venia legendi. He was professor at the universities of Münster (1979-1981) and Bamberg (1981-1992). Since 1992 Beck is professor for sociology and director of the Institute for Sociology of Munich University. He has received many international prizes and honors.
From 1995 to 1997 he was member of the Kommission für Zukunftsfragen der Freistaaten Bayern und Sachsen (Bavarian-Saxonian Commission on Future Questions). Since 1999 he is speaker of the DFG research programme on Reflexive Modernity.
Beck is editor of the sociological journal Soziale Welt (since 1980), author of ca. 150 articles, and author or editor of many books, for example:
- Risikogesellschaft - Auf dem Weg in eine andere Moderne (1986) (Risk Society)
- Riskante Freiheiten - Gesellschaftliche Individualisierungsprozesse in der Moderne (1994, editor together with Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim)
- Eigenes Leben - Ausflüge in die unbekannte Gesellschaft, in der wir leben (1995, together with W. Vossenkuhl and U. E. Ziegler, photographs by T. Rautert)
- Reflexive Modernisierung - Eine Debatte (1996, together with Anthony Giddens and Scott Lash) (Reflexive Modernization)
- Was ist Globalisierung? (1997)
- World Risk Society (1999)
