Postmodernism

modernity and globalisation - the Enlightenment project

Modernist theories (e.g. Marxism) are part of the Enlightenment project - the idea that through reason and science, we can discover true knowledge and progress to a better society.

modernity and globalisation - the characteristics of modern society

Modern society emerged from the late 18th century. Its characteristics include the nation-state; capitalism; mass production; scientific thinking; technology; individualism and the decline of tradition.

modernity and globalisation - globalisation

Globalisation - the growing interconnectedness of societies - is occurring for several reasons:

• Economic changes Global networks dominate economic activity. The growth in transnational companies (TNCs) drives globalisation forward.

• Technological changes, e.g. the internet and air travel create time-space compression.

• Political changes The fall of communism and the growth of transnational bodies have created opportunities for global capitalism.

• Changes in culture and identity Westernised global culture makes it harder for cultures to exist in isolation. Globalisation undermines traditional sources of identity.

modernity and globalisation - explaining the changes

Rapid changes linked to globalisation have led to new questions:

• What kind of society do we now live in - modern society, or a new, postmodern society?

• What kind of theory can explain today's society - postmodernism, or some version of modernism?

• The Enlightenment project - can we achieve true knowledge to improve society?

Three theories offer answers to these questions: postmodernism; theories of late modernity; Marxist theories of postmodernity.

postmodernism

For postmodernists, we now live in a new era: postmodernity. Postmodern society is a fundamental break with modernity and requires a new kind of theory to explain it.

postmodernism - knowledge

Postmodernists argue that there are no objective criteria to prove whether a theory is true.

• Therefore any theory claiming to have the truth about how to create a better society, e.g. Marxism, is a mere meta-narrative - just someone's version of reality.

• We should celebrate the diversity of views rather than seek to impose one version of the truth.

postmodernism - the enlightenment project

• In postmodern society, the media create hyper-reality - the media's signs appear more real than reality itself, leaving us unable to distinguish image from reality.

• If we cannot even grasp reality, we have lost the power to change it to improve society - the Enlightenment project is unachievable.

postmodernism - culture and identity

• The media produce an endless stream of images, making culture unstable and fragmented; there is no longer a coherent set of shared values. People cease to believe any one version of the truth.

• Identity becomes destabilised: we can change it simply by changing our consumption patterns, picking and mixing media-produced images to define ourselves.

postmodernism - criticisms of postmodernism

• It ignores the ruling class' use of the media as a tool of ideological domination.

• It is wrong to claim people cannot distinguish between reality and media image.
  By assuming all views are equally true, it becomes just as valid to deny the Nazis murdered millions as to affirm it.

• Critics argue that we can use knowledge to solve human problems.

theories of late modernity

Unlike postmodernism, theories of late modernity (TLM) argue that today's rapid changes are not the dawn of a new, postmodern era, but a continuation of modern society.

• We are now in late or high modernity. Key features of modernity have now become intensified; e.g. change has always been typical of modern society, but now it has gone into overdrive.

• Unlike postmodernism, TLM subscribe to the Enlightenment project.

theories of late modernity - Giddens: reflexivity and high modernity

High modernity has two key features that encourage globalisation and rapid change:

Disembedding is 'the lifting out of social relations from local contexts of interaction'. Factors such as credit break down geographical barriers and make interaction more impersonal.

Reflexivity Tradition and custom no longer serve as a guide to how we should act.

• We are thus forced to become reflexive - to reflect on and modify our actions in the light of information about risks.

• This means we are continually re-evaluating our ideas. Under these conditions, culture becomes increasingly unstable.

theories of late modernity - late modernity and risk

• We now face new high consequence risks, e.g. environmental harm. Beck calls these 'manufactured risks' as they result from technology, not nature.

• However, unlike postmodernists, Giddens and Beck believe we can make rational plans based on objective knowledge to reduce these risks and achieve progress.

Marxist theories and postmodernity

Like Beck and Giddens, but unlike postmodernists, Marxists Jameson (1984) and Harvey

(1989) believe in the Enlightenment project of achieving objective knowledge to improve society.

• However, they agree with postmodernists that we have moved from modernity to postmodernity.

• But rather than see this as a new type of society, Marxists see it as merely the most recent stage of capitalism.

Marxist theories and postmodernity - flexible accumulation

• Postmodernity arose out of the capitalist crisis of the 1970s, which gave rise to a new way of achieving profitability, which Harvey calls 'flexible accumulation' (FA).

• FA involves the use of ICT, an expanded service and finance sector, job insecurity and working 'flexibly' to fit employers' needs. It involves production of customised products for 'niche' markets and brings many of the features of postmodernity:

• Customised products promote cultural diversity.

• Leisure, culture and identity become commodities produced for profit.

• Global financial markets and ICT produce compression of time and space.

• It brings political changes, especially the weakening of the working-class movement. In its place, a variety of oppositional movements emerge, e.g. feminism, environmentalism.