Postmodernism (T&M)

Question 1

What are the 4 characteristics of a modern society?

Answer 1

1. Nation State – a geographical area ruled by a strong central state. 2. Capitalism – private ownership of production + wage labour. 3. Rationality – science and technology dominate; decline of religion. 4. Individualism – more personal freedom and reduced influence of tradition, though inequalities remain.

Question 2

What does globalisation mean?

Answer 2

The increased interconnectedness of people across national boundaries.

Question 3

What are the 4 changes associated with globalisation?

Answer 3

1. Technological Changes – time–space compression and new global risks. 2. Economic Changes – economic activity occurs on a global scale, including the electronic economy. 3. Political Changes – nation states lose power; borderless world (Ohmae); TNCs dominant. 4. Cultural and Identity Changes – global culture shaped by mass media, leading to westernisation.

Question 4

What is postmodernism?

Answer 4

A form of society characterised by instability, fragmentation, and a global village where images and reality blur; identity is shaped by consumption; represents a completely new era and theory.

Question 5

What does meta-narrative mean?

Answer 5

A big picture or singular truth claiming to explain the world.

Question 6

What does the relativist position mean?

Answer 6

All views are true for the people who hold them; no one has a monopoly on truth.

Question 7

What are Lyotard’s language games?

Answer 7

Knowledge is not truth but a way of seeing the world; this is beneficial because it allows marginalised groups to be heard.

Question 8

What are Baudrillard’s simulacra?

Answer 8

Signs that represent nothing in reality; society now revolves around buying and selling knowledge detached from reality.

Question 9

What is hyper-reality?

Answer 9

A blurring of image and reality, e.g., reality TV that is partially scripted and not reflective of real life.

Question 10

What is Philo and Miller’s evaluation of postmodernism?

Answer 10

It ignores power and inequality, overlooks poverty limiting opportunities, and wrongly assumes people cannot distinguish reality from imaging.

Question 11

What is Best and Kellner’s evaluation of postmodernism?

Answer 11

It is a weak theory that describes society but fails to explain how it developed.

Question 12

What is the Enlightenment Project criticism from postmodernism?

Answer 12

Postmodernists argue objective knowledge is impossible and no real social improvement can be achieved.

Question 13

What is Late Modernity?

Answer 13

The idea that society continues modernity rather than entering a new postmodern era; modern features remain and the enlightenment project can still improve society.

Question 14

What is Giddens’ concept of disembedding?

Answer 14

Social interaction no longer requires face-to-face contact due to the breakdown of geographical boundaries.

Question 15

What is Giddens’ concept of reflexivity?

Answer 15

Individuals and societies constantly reassess ideas; nothing is fixed and everything is open to challenge.

Question 16

What is Beck’s concept of manufactured risk?

Answer 16

Modern risks created by human action rather than nature.

Question 17

What is Beck’s concept of individualisation?

Answer 17

Individuals are no longer bound by tradition and instead reflect on their choices and consequences.

Question 18

What is risk consciousness?

Answer 18

Increased awareness of risks and attempts to minimise them.

Question 19

What is Rustin’s criticism of late modernity?

Answer 19

Capitalism, not technology, causes the risks in modern society.

Question 20

What is Hirst’s criticism of Beck?

Answer 20

Environmental movements are too fragmented to produce the political change Beck suggests.

Question 21

What is the risk and poverty evaluation?

Answer 21

Not everyone can minimise risks; the poor lack the resources to do so.