postmodernism Flashcards
(27 cards)
modernist theories are part of the enlightenment project - what is the project
the idea that society can progress through the use of human reason
4 characteristics of modern society
nation state
capitalism
rationality
individualism
4 characteristics of modern society - nation sttae
the key political unit of modern society
a geographical area ruled by a powerful central state
has created large institutions such as education to regulate citizens lives
4 characteristics of modern society - capitlalism
based on private ownership of the means of production and the use of wage labourers
nation state regulates capitalism and maintains the way it operates = ‘organised capitalism’
Production is organised on Fordist principles - the mass production of standardised products
4 characteristics of modern society - rationality
Science and technology are the dominant ways of thinking, a move away from religious explanations
4 characteristics of modern society - individualism
Tradition and ascribed status are less important
experience greater personal freedom
but structural inequalities still remain
globalisation
the increased
interconnectedness of people across
national boundaries.
4 changes that have brought about globalisation
technological changes
economic changes
political changes
Changes in culture and identity
4 changes that have brought about globalisation - technological changes
new tec - satellite communications, internet, global TV = have created time-space compression
But technically also brings risks on a global scale
e.g greenhouse gases created in one place contribute to global climate change that leads to a rise in sea levels and flooding in other countries
Beck = We now live in a risk society where threats to our well-being come from human-made technology
4 changes that have brought about globalisation - economic changes
economic activity takes place within global networks - creating greater interconnectedness
The global economy is an electronic economy that involves production of information e.g music that are produced and distrubuted globally
money never sleeps - global 24hr transactions = allows transfer of funds in the pursuit of profit
trans national companies operate across boundaries
4 changes that have brought about globalisation - political changes
globalisation has undermined the power of the nation sttae
We now live in a borderless world were TNCs (tran national companies) have more economic power than national govs
= states are less able to regulate activities of large capitalist companies = ‘disorganised capitalism’
4 changes that have brought about globalisation - changes in culture and identity
Globalisation means it’s harder for cultures to exist in isolation from each other
reason = information and communications technology e.g mass media
We live in a global culture where Western-owned media companies spread Western culture to the rest of the world
e.g TNCS like Nike sell the same goods in all countries = promotes similar tastes across national borders
postmodernism ao1
we live in a unstable fragmented media saturated society - image and reality are indistinguishable
postmodernism - knowledge
we can’t be sure of knowledge - there is no objective criteria to prove whether something is true or not - known as anti-foundationalism
this means that:
the enlightenment P = dead as we can’t gurantee knwoledge is correct
any theory that claims to have the truth is a meta-narrative - someone’s version of the truth
Take a relativist position = all views are true for those that hold them - no one has special access to the truth
Lyotard - knowledge is a series of language games - ways of seeing the world
postmodernism - baudrillard
society is no longer based on production of material goods but on buying and selling knwoledge in the form of images and signs that have no relation to reality
he calls signs that stand for nothing simulacra e.g newsppaer article about a fictional sopa opera people
describes this situation as hyper-reality, where signs appear more real than reality, but because they don’t represent anything real, they’re meaningless
= we can’t distinguish media from reality = lost the power to improve society if we can’t even grasp reality
Postmodernism - culture, identity, and politics
media produces an endless stream of hcanging images and versions of the truth
= culture becomes fragmented and unstable so there are no fixed set of values
= people don’t believe whole heartedly in any narrative because theres so many
identity is destabilised - instead of ascribed status, we now construct our own identity, and can change it by changing consumption patterns
postmodernism ao3 - marxist criticisms, philo and miller
it ignores power and inequality e.g ignores how the ruling class use the media as a tool of domination
overlooks the role of poverty in restricting opportunities to shape identity
wrong to assume people cannot differentiate between reality and image
postmodernism ao3 - self defeating
why should we believe a theory that claims no theory has the truth?
postmodernism ao3 - pessimistic
pessimistic for thinking objective knowledge is impossible and nothing cna be done to improve society
knowledge can be used to solve human problems
Even if our theories aren’t the absolute truth, they’re at least an approximation to it
late modernity overall view ao1
the features of modernity that were always present have now become intensified
believe in the enlightenment P - we can discover objective knowledge and use it to improve society
late modernity - giddens
modern society experiences rapid change because of 2 features of modernity: disembedding and reflexivity
disembedding = we no longer need face to face contact to interact
disembedding breaks down geographical barriers
Tradition and custom are less important and don’t serve as a guide for how we should act - we become more individualistic and are forced to be reflexive
- we have to constantly monitor and modify our actions because of information about the risks they might involve
This means we’re constantly re-evaluating ideas = nothing is fixed
we face high consequence risks that are human made
But we can make rational plans to reduce them
late modernity - beck
todays risk society faces new kinds of dangers as they’re manufactured risks from human activities
late modernity is a period of individualisation - we are reflexive, have to think for ourselves and have to take into account the risks attached to actions = ‘reflexive modernisation’
‘risk consciousness’ becomes central to our culture - become more aware of risks and seek to avoid them
But knowledge about risks comes from the distorted media
He believes in our ability to use rationality to overcome risks
late modernity ao3 - capitlaism
capitalism with its pursuit for profit is the source of risk not technology
late modernity ao3 - not everyone ahs opportunities
The poor are generally exposed to more environmental risks (live in a heavily polluted area), but may be unable to afford to move to a healthier area
