Globalisation, Modernity and Postmodernity

Question 1

What modern theorists are part of the enlightenment project?

Answer 1

Marxism, Functionalism, and Feminism

Question 2

What is the enlightenment project?

Answer 2

The idea that society can progress through the use of human reason

Question 3

According to modernity theorists, what enables us to discover true knowledge about society?

Answer 3

Rationality and science

Question 4

Modern society first emerged in Western society from 18th century onwards, what are their 3 key features?

Answer 4

The nation state- is a key political unit in modern society. We tend to think of modern world as made up of a series of separate societies , each with its own state.
Capitalism- involves private ownership of the means of production and the use of wage labourers. Wealth distribution is unequal, resulting in class conflict. Production is based on the mass production of standardised products in large factories using low skilled labour
Rationality, science and technology- science becomes increasingly important

Question 5

According to some sociologists, what 4 changes have helped bring globalisation about?

Answer 5

Technological change
Economic change
Political change
Changes in culture and identity

Question 6

How has technological change helped bring about globalisation?

Answer 6

we can now cross entire continents in a matter of hours or exchange information across the globe with a click of a mouse. We now have time-space compression which closes the distance between people. It also brings risk on global scale e.g., greenhouse gases

Question 7

How has economic change helped bring about globalisation?

Answer 7

the global economy is increasingly weightless or electronic. Instead of producing physical goods much more activity involves the production of information, Money never sleeps. Global 24-hour financial transactions occur now

Question 8

How has political change helped bring about globalisation?

Answer 8

globalisation has undermined the power of the nation state. TNCs have more power economically than national governments

Question 9

How has changes in culture and identity helped bring globalisation about?

Answer 9

we have a global culture in which Western-owned media companies spread Western culture to the rest of the world. Identity has also become fragmented.

Question 10

What is a postmodern world like?

Answer 10

It is an unstable, fragmented, media-saturated, global village, where image and reality are indistinguishable.

Question 11

In a postmodern society, ow do we define ourselves?

Answer 11

By what we consume- there are no modern theories that apply in todays society.

Question 12

What do post-modernists argue about knowledge?

Answer 12

That there are no sure foundations to knowledge- no objective criteria we can use to prove whether a story is true or false.

Question 13

According to postmodernists, what are the two consequences about not knowing if something is true or false?

Answer 13

The Enlightenment project of achieving progress through true, scientific knowledge is dead. If we cannot guarantee our knowledge is correct, we cannot use it to improve society.
Any all-embracing theory that claims to have absolute truth such as Marxism is a meta-narrative, someone’s version of reality, not the truth. Therefore there is no reason to accept the claims the theory makes.

Question 14

What does the French philosopher Lyotard reject?

Answer 14

He rejects meta-narratives on the grounds that they have helped to create the oppressive totalitarian state that impose their version of the truth on people.

Question 15

What does Lyotard say we should recognise?

Answer 15

We should recognise and celebrate the diversity of views rather than seek to impose one version on the truth on everyone.

Question 16

What does Baudrillard argue?

Answer 16

That society is no longer based on the production of material goods , but rather on buying and selling knowledge in the form of images and signs.

Question 17

According to Baudrillard, what does simulacra mean?

Answer 17

Where the signs stand for nothing but themselves; they are not symbols of some other real thing

Question 18

What do postmodernists argue about culture and identity?

Answer 18

Culture and identity differ fundamentally from modern society, especially because of the role of the media in creating hyper-reality.

Question 19

According to postmodernists, the media are all pervading and they produce an endless stream of ever changing what?

Answer 19

Images, values, and versions of the truth

Question 20

Due to the media changing images, values, and versions of the truth, what happens as a result of this?

Answer 20

Culture becomes fragmented and unstable, so that there is no longer a coherent, fixed set of values shared by members of society.

Question 21

What does Bauman discuss?

Answer 21

How we do not have a fixed identity based on class, we construct our own identity, by changing our consumption patterns. We pick and mix cultural goods and media produced images to define ourselves. So people are active, have free will, and can act without constraint.

Question 22

Why does Baudrillard believe we have lost the power to improve society?

Answer 22

Because if we live in a hyper-reality and not be able to grasp reality, then we have no power to change it. We can change our identity by going shopping, but we cannot change society.

Question 23

What are the main criticisms of postmodernity?

Answer 23

It ignores power and inequality- media as a tool for ideological domination (Marx)
The idea we freely construct our identities through consumption overlooks the effect of poverty
It is self-defeating- it itself is a meta-narrative, an overarching version of the truth , which according to po-mo is dead

Question 24

What do late modern theorists argue?

Answer 24

That the rapid changes in society is not the dawn of a new postmodern era, they are actually a continuation of modernity itself.

Question 25

What type of society do late modern theorists argue we have entered?

Answer 25

Society's late modern phase and they still subscribe to the enlightenment project. They still believe that we can discover objective knowledge and use it to improve society.

Question 26

What does Giddens believe?

Answer 26

That we are not at the stage of late modernity and we are experiencing rapid social change.

Question 27

According to Giddens there are 2 key features of late modernity, what are they?

Answer 27

Disembedding and Tradition no longer tells us how to act

Question 28

What does Giddens mean by disembedding?

Answer 28

We no longer need face to face contact in order to interact which makes interaction more impersonal. Disembedding also breaks down geographical barriers

Question 29

What does Giddens mean by tradition no longer tells us how to act?

Answer 29

We are forced to become reflexive. We have to constantly monitor, reflect on, and modify our actions in the light of information about the possible risks and opportunities that they might involve. Customs also become less important and no longer serve as a guide to how we should act and we become more individualistic.

Question 30

According to Beck, what are the new dangers that the 'risk society' face?

Answer 30

In the past, society faced dangers as a result of its inability to control nature, such as drought or famine. Today, the dangers we face are human made and manufactured, such as global warming. Tradition no longer governs how we act, we think for ourselves and reflect on the consequences of our actions. We constantly take account of the risk attached to the different courses of action. We have become risk conscious, we seek to avoid or minimise risk.

Question 31

What is the evaluation of late modernity?

Answer 31

Not everyone is free to re-shape their lives accordingly to reduce exposure to risks. The poor are generally more exposed to more environmental risks because they are more likely to live in heavily populated areas, but may be unable to afford to a move to a healthier one.