Globalisation, Modernity And Postmodernity

Question 1

What is globalisation, modernity and post modernity

Answer 1

-The nation state is a focal point in modern society, but gooablisation undermines this. Technological, cultural, economic and political changes are creating a ‘ global village ‘,
-postmodernists argue that these changes indicate the arrival of a postmodernism society, which leaves society as unstable, fragmented and media - saturated. They reject metastasises such as Marxism because there is not objective criteria to prove whether a theory is true.
-However giddens believe such changes are the result of a late modern society, not a postmodern society

Question 2

Modernity and globalisation

Answer 2

• characteristics of a modern society : the nation sate, capitalism, mass production, scientific thinking and technology
• globalisation ( the increasing inter connectedness of societies ) is occurring because :
• economic changes, global networks encourage economic activity. The growth in tncs drives globalisation forward
• technologies changes, the internet and air travel collapse time and space barriers
• political changes, the fall of communism and the rise in 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 the traditional sources of identity

Question 3

Postmodernism

Answer 3

• there is no objective criteria to prove whether a theory is true
• any theories claiming to have the truth about how to create a better society, therefore they reject meta narratives ( eg Marxism ) that merely reflect someone’s version of society
• we should celebrate a diversity of views rather than seek to impose one version of the truth

Question 4

Postmodernism - the enlightenment project

Answer 4

• In a post modern society, the media creates a hyper reality, the media signs appear more real than reality itself leaving us unable to distinguish between reality and image
• if we cannot grasp reality, we lose power to improve society, undermining the enlightenment project

Question 5

Late modernity

Answer 5

• Some sociologists argue we are now in a period of late modernity, in which key features of modernity have been intensified

Question 6

Late modernity - giddens

Answer 6

• late modernity has two key features in that encourage globalisation and rapid change
• disembedding, lifting out of social relations from local contexts of interaction. Factors such as credit break down geographical barriers and make interaction more personal
• reflexivity, tradition no longer serves as guides on how to act, we are forced to become reflective ( reflect on and modify our actions in light of information about risks ) which means that we are continually reevaluating our ideas. This means culture becomes unstable