Chapter 3. The Broader Context of the Rise of Critical Theory and Postmodernism Let's start with this scenario. Mack is your average young man in a Western society. He is a dedicated gamer, and he loves learning about geeky computer stuff. He has never been particularly into politics or popular culture, but in recent years he's been feeling increasingly uncomfortable about some of the things that are happening around him. He fears that the society he grew up in is changing so fast that it is becoming unrecognizable, and it is changing for the worse too. Worse of all, he feels like he is being pressured to simply shut up and accept everything.
Sue-Jane is a college student, who is passionate about social justice issues. She has always been sympathetic to the underdogs and the outcasts of society. Since she started college two years ago, she has learned much more about the world around her. Her vision of 'social justice' has greatly expanded during this time. However, she feels like sometimes she doesn't fully understand what 'social justice' movements are actually doing, and why they do certain things, things that she doesn't think are useful for helping disadvantaged people in society. Scared that she may be doubting the movement out of her own ignorance, she generally doesn't challenge what the leaders say.
59
