Individualization argues that we are in the midst of a fundamental change in the nature of society and politics. This change hinges around two processes: globalization and individualization. The book demonstrates that individualization is a structural characteristic of highly differentiated societies, and does not imperil social cohesion, but actually makes it possible. Ulrich Beck and Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim argue that it is vital to distinguish between the neo-liberal idea of the free-market individual and the concept of individualization. The result is the most complete discussion of individualization currently available, showing how individualization relates to basic social rights and also paid employment; and concluding that in as much as basic rights are internalized and everyone wants to or must be economically active, the spiral of individualization destroys the given foundations of social co-existence.

烏爾裏希·貝剋(Ulrich Beck，1944— )，當今西方社會學界最有影響的學者之一，德國慕尼黑大學社會學教授，英國倫敦經濟學院社會學教授，《社會世界》(Soziale Welt)主編，主要研究領域為生態問題、風險社會、自反性現代化、個體化、全球化等。代錶作為《風險社會》(Risk Society，1986)與《個體化》(Individualization，2002)。

伊麗莎白·貝剋-格恩斯海姆(Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim，1946— )，德國社會學傢、心理學傢和哲學傢，埃爾蘭根大學社會學教授，主要研究領域為社會變遷與傢庭製度的改變狀況。代錶作為《半衰期》(Das halbierte Leben，1980)、《傢庭之後是什麼？》(Was kommt nach der Familie? 2000)。