Postmodernism

Question 1

Baudrillard: Characteristics of Postmodern Society

Answer 1

Society is fragmented; people do not see themselves by class, gender, ethnicity etc.
Decline of manufacturing- unemployment has resulted in poverty and an increase in people in work, but depending on benefits.
Globalisation means manufacturing has moved to less developed countries and goods are relatively cheap.
Increase in low-skills service sector work= resulted in femenisation of the workforce.
Individualism- people encourages to be selfish and only concerned with their own needs.

Question 2

Lyotard: Consumerism in Postmodern Society

Answer 2

Social class, gender and ethnicity are modern rather than postmodern.
These terms are meaningless because no groups have anything in common as society is so fragmented.
Consumerism and the media make people feel unequal because they lack the things others appear to have.

Question 3

Paluliski and Waters: Death of Class

Answer 3

Class does not exists; society is so diverse class is a meaningless concept.
In postmodern society, stratification is based on cultural, rather than economic differences.
Economic (social class) inequalities have become much less important

Question 4

Postmodernism: Social Exclusion

Answer 4

Focus on social exclusion rather than inequality:
People are said to be socially excluded, not when they are poor but when they lack a sense of engagement with society.
Social deprivation involved poor education, crime and discrimination.
It is their personal characteristics which make them socially excluded, rather than wider social factors of inequality.