Freedom is commonly recognized as the struggle for basic liberties, societies based upon open dialogue, human rights and democracy. The idea of freedom is central to western ideas of modernity, but this engaging, accessible book argues that our basic ideas of freedom are far less settled than we believe. Stevenson explores complaints about 'big brother', the arrival of the business society and the erosion of democracy to show how our freedoms are far from secure. What will freedom come to mean in the future, in a world that seems increasingly fragile, uncertain and insecure?

Series Editor's Preface 1. Freedom Now and Then 2. Freedom and Happiness 3. Big Brother and Freedom 4. Cultural Freedom 5. Cosmopolitan Freedom 6. Freedom and Virtue. Bibliography

Nick Stevenson is a Reader in Cultural Sociology at the University of Nottingham. He has written widely on questions of culture and politics. His published books include The Transformation of the Media (1999), Making Sense of Men's Magazines (2001), Culture and Citizenship (2001), Understanding Media Cultures (2002), Cultural Citizenship (2003), David Bowie (2006) and Education and Cultural Citizenship (2011).