Postmodernity From Modernity to Postmodernity: From Certainty to Chaos? This week we will take a look at more recent cultural and theoretical developments – looking at the transition from Modernity to Postmodernity (developments from the 1970’s onwards).
From Modernity to Postmodernity
Postmodernism & Sociology
Postmodernism – The word ‘post’, what does this mean? (For example in Postgraduate, post-mortem.)
Postmodernism as a theory argues that we are living in a time which is ‘after’ modernity. In order for this to make sense, we need to understand what modernity is. • Think back to the first lecture that we did on Enlightenment and modernity – how do the two areas link together?
HE Access: Sociological Perspectives.
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From Modernity to Postmodernity
[Modernity and postmodernity are seen as particular periods in time – developments in society since the industrial revolution.] The main assertion of the modernist approach is that it assumes that society and people can be analysed, understood and ‘improved’ through science [social advancement]. Modernists, therefore believe in the ‘truth’ and effectiveness of science. Marxism, functionalism & feminism(s) are modernist theories as they essentially believe that people and society can be understood and explained - scientifically [in order to be altered & improved]. Social Science. Postmodernism (developed from the 1970’s onwards) is a theoretical approach which questions the arguments and assumptions of the modernist, scientific theories. Postmodernism argues that we can’t even understand and decide upon the true extent of our own individual selves – so how can we pretend to understand other people and society? Postmodernism argues that theories such as functionalism, Marxism and feminism are relative to the individual person using it, i.e. there is no ‘real’ external truth to them [theoretical relativism]. For example Marxism as a theory sees everybody in society as belonging to the large structures of proletariat, petitbourgeoisie or bourgeoisie; it attempts to explain ‘everybody’ in society by using its version of the ‘truth’. It attempts to explain everything through capitalism.
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From Modernity to Postmodernity
Is this the ‘truth’ for everyone in society, does Marxism explain everything to you about your life? With feminism – men are to blame for the problems of women and the whole of society in general. According to postmodernism these views are only one way of looking at humans, there are countless others: Religion, Greek/Celtic/Roman myth etc. All are valid – none of them are absolutely true [there is no truth - only that which we wish to see as true].
Postmodern theorists: Jean Baudrillard in his book ‘Simulations’ Argues contemporary postmodern society is experiencing the ‘loss of the real’ [the loss of a real or ‘authentic’ culture]. Peoples old assumptions about truth and reality no longer exist. In place of this loss of anything original, we are now obsessed with media images and technology; increasingly we have virtual families, virtual lovers, virtual fantasies, virtual friends etc. Originality & ‘reality’ has disappeared, therefore we create media artefacts termed: simulacra – or simulations of the real thing. Some examples of Baudrillard’s simulacra are: • The caves of Lescaux in France. The actual caves have been closed, but an exact replica, a simulation, is now open to the public. • The global reach, impact and expansion of Disneyland, with its simulation of a childlike utopia. HE Access: Sociological Perspectives.
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From Modernity to Postmodernity
One of Disney’s classic attractions, the simulated submarine ride on which people experience simulated undersea life. More people go to this than the ‘genuine’ aquarium close to the complex (itself a simulation of the sea). • Las Vegas Casino-Hotels, each are massive simulations of ‘Venice’, Egypt, and Russian Palaces. (Our own local comparison to this is the Trafford Centre). • Regurgitated, mundane pop music [re-makes of re-makes] • O’Neils Irish pub its not real ‘Irish’ – just a simulation produced en-masse. • Past Times shops: Aiming back to a better (humanistic) time before the rule of technology i.e. Victorian, Celtic, Edwardian. • Even peoples persona is a simulated construct: “... most of the people we encounter in the cathedrals of consumption are simulations ... The entertainment director of the cruise ship, the ticket taker at Disney World, the counterperson at McDonald’s ... Their employing organisations have developed a series of guidelines about how they are supposed to look, speak, behave ...” (Ritzer, 1999, p, 116)
• Can you think of any other examples of ‘simulacra’?
Now that social and cultural life has become ‘boring and mundane’ (dictated by computers & technology) – we seek
HE Access: Sociological Perspectives.
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From Modernity to Postmodernity
‘virtual’ danger & excitement through computer games, ThemeParks; and even: ‘Teledildonics’. Teledildonics is a revolutionary and futuristic ‘virtual reality’, linked to telephone or Internet sources and their types of cyber-interactions. Likeminded individuals (for the purpose of sexual gratification) wear a bodysuit, lined with tiny vibrators, which are triggered by certain tones & words in the conversation. This induces artificial bodily stimulation. The technology is safe – but not ‘intimate’ or personal, and serves to simply fulfil bodily urges & needs - with no attention given to the emotional aspects of sexual intercourse. “Teledildonics promises the ultimate in safe sex through an encounter with ‘intimacy’ which is both disembodied and sanitized” (Shilling:2003, P34). This is arguably the ultimate simulacra – simulated sexual encounters. The recent explosion of technology is proving to have the potential to organise and produce solutions to social problems better than what humans can. Humans have tried perfecting ‘society’ over thousands of years – with little overall success. As a result of the ‘perfect rationality’ of technology: life, meaning, culture, society is increasingly dictated by the role of technology ‘real’ life is becoming increasingly obsolete.
HE Access: Sociological Perspectives.
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From Modernity to Postmodernity
Jean Francois Lyotard In his book ‘The Postmodern Condition’ argues that humanity has reached ‘the end of knowledge’. Essentially, humanity has had its attempt at trying to understand and improve society through human understanding, human thought and human solutions. The notion of evolution and the increasing development of genetic technology and computer technology – means that technology can produce solutions to social/human problems better than what humans can. For sociology – this means ‘the end’ of grand-narratives (or grand theories) of sociology e.g. Marxism, Functionalism, feminism(s). Humans have no overall belief in one thing any more: Life is a ‘pastiche’ - life, culture, everything we come into contact with is a chaotic ‘mish-mash’ of inauthentic meaningless commodities. We buy to try and create meaning. We can create an identity based on a Pastiche of cultural tastes. But the identity is false and fleeting. We have become ‘apathetic’ consumers of a superficial material reality in order to fulfil the void of meaning in postmodern society. Within this scenario, there is one last development to take hold. The human body itself (in a genetic, physiological & biological sense) is to be reduced to these consumer fashions. HE Access: Sociological Perspectives.
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From Modernity to Postmodernity
The next and ultimate transition is designer babies – the perfect human being cybernetically created by computers & genetic manipulation. Traditional ethics are no longer relevant: e.g. disability and human rights.
Finally, postmodernism may seem to be just another theory along with all the other modernist theories. However, postmodernists see this theory as the final theory – the one to finish off all the others. This is explained through the human being conquered by technology. Human endeavour is inferior to computer technology. Humans are flawed & cannot create a just society. Part of our humanity (our human-being-ness) is that which expresses irrationality, love, hope, passion, loss, death – the only way to create a fully rational society without the ‘pain’ of being human, is to conquer these aspects. We are increasingly giving this task over to computers – it is only a matter of time before we as a species become part of this network ourselves. What films can you think of that reflect this belief/fear (or inevitability):
HE Access: Sociological Perspectives.
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From Modernity to Postmodernity
Postmodernism summarised Postmodernism brings a challenge to sociology – and argues that it no longer has a meaningful role in attempting to understand and remedy society’s problems. Humans can’t do this – computers can. Old certainties, traditions, fragmented and disappeared.
roles,
identities
etc.
have
We now live in a ‘global’ consumer society where anything can be bought. Technology is creating the situation where we can get access to virtually anything faster & faster. Our very ‘being’ [who we are] is increasingly dictated by efficiency, rationality and computer technology.
HE Access: Sociological Perspectives.
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