The end of history and the futures of power

The paper reviews, briefly, debates about power in their social context from the 1970s to the present day. It relates theory to changing political practices from Thatcherism to the War on Terror and suggests some new ways of thinking about power and identity in the present conjuncture. The paper provides an analysis of present and forthcoming social tendencies affecting the nature of power, both conceptually and in practice, especially with respect to the post-9/11 expansion of anxiety, which has seen the risk society expand to also become a state of insecurity. Political and organisation agendas are changing in tandem in the 21st century, emphasising crucial issues that we think will shape the future conceptual landscape of power.