The characteristics of Post Modernism

The characteristics of post-modernism

Post-modernist thinkers argue that the late-20th century society progressed into a post-modern age which is characterised by:

Changes in the nature of work (e.g. more flexible working practices)
The globalisation of both production and consumption
The shrinking of space and time because of developments in communication networks like the internet, e-mail and satellite television
The loss of faith in science as seen in the rise of environmental politics
The emphasis on consumption of information
The emphasis on style and conspicuous consumption
Cultural diversity and pluralism in a range of social contexts e.g. the family, media, youth culture, etc.

Characteristics of postmodernity have been identified in terms of work, culture, identity, globalisation and knowledge.

Work

Much of the economic activity is dominated by tertiary production i.e. service based jobs. Lincoln is becoming a microcosm which means that it’s broadly representative of the UK economic trends. Retail has greatly expanded, hence the saying ‘shop till you drop’. We are all consumers and shopping has become a form of ‘modern religion’. With the expansion of the university in Lincoln, the pubs and clubs scene has widely expanded. Tourism is also hugely important in Lincoln, especially heritage tourism and the historical side of the city. There is also the Christmas market which attracts tourists through its traditional element.

Leisure activities such as gyms are expanding creating more jobs as is the expansion of fast food outlets which are known for taking on students as staff for their first jobs. Garden centres such as Whisby are becoming a lot bigger but are also selling a wider range of items from flowers to books to clothes and food. There is also an increase in car showrooms with cars becoming more popular and families having more than one car.

A job is no longer a job for life with more and more people being made redundant. Work practices are also face more flexible. One of the key values of post modernism is the value of choice. The traditional 9-5 job still exists but is not as common with people working from home or working part time. Single parents are becoming more and more able to choose their hours to fit in with school hours.

We are often described as a 24-7 society. With shift work continuing into the night and shops such as ASDA and Tesco open 24 hours ...

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We are often described as a 24-7 society. With shift work continuing into the night and shops such as ASDA and Tesco open 24 hours a day throughout the night meaning there are always people working.

There is also an increase in childcare. With more and more single parents working there is a need for more childcare which can begin at breakfast and continue after school and sometimes into the evening.

Culture

We are becoming more commonly described as a ‘media saturated society’ meaning that the media is becoming much more important in our lives and having much more control over society. The increasing conventional media such as the TV, newspapers and the internet mean that we can witness real events across the world, sometimes in real time. The world is becoming much smaller because of the developments in ICT and technology.

There is a lot more on the TV telling society what not to wear and what not to eat which is shaping society and making it more competitive. Along with reality TV and soaps which give people ideas on what they should look like and act like. There is an increase in daytime programmes showing people how to create a nice garden, makeover the house and looking at the best kinds of properties which are giving people in society ideas on how they should live and what their homes and gardens should look like.

Society these days is becoming much more culturally diverse meaning there are many people from other countries or cultures moving into Britain.

There are lots of programmes on TV now which show you how to change your image and your partner’s image. Added to the amount of celebrities bringing out fitness DVDs there is an increase in people trying to look as skinny as possible to look like the celebrities.

Lifestyle is also shaped by TV programmes and celebrities and is image. In the post-modern world there is an increase in styles in society with music, fashion, gardens, cars and houses meaning that no one is the same and there are many more choices you can make in your life making everyone different. This means there is no one culture or style, everyone is different.

Identity

Identity in society today is much more fluid with people being able to choose what they want to be. Looks and personality can be changed, for example, Madonna constantly changes her image and style of music to match the time’s crazes.

In Post-modern society we are constantly influenced by what we see both on TV and in magazines, what we read and how others look e.g. everyone is trying to become as skinny as the celebrities and copy their fashions. However, these days we celebrate difference. Although everyone wants to be skinny and fashionable they don’t want to look the same. They all want to be better than each other and it’s seen as good to be different in society and not to blend in with the crowd.

There is also a lot more choice in society today, from clothes and music to hair styles, jewellery and make-up. With so much to choose from everyone is different.

Old identities were derived from the family background, your occupation and where you live in the area, whether you live in the poorer or richer areas. However, new identies focus on designer labels, styles of car and the house you live in as well as the area with many people competing to be the best. This means that image is a lot more important that it used to be.

Steve Taylor argues that ‘society has been transformed into a huge shopping mall’ full of competition.

Globalisation

There has been a big rise in global brands such as McDonalds, also known as transnational companies, which are companies that have branches in many parts of the world.

The world has become much smaller through improvements in transport and communication. The world is commonly described as a global village which means that the world is a massive place, however, due to the improvements made in transportation and communication, seems a lot smaller.

Countries are now both politically and economically interconnected e.g. the UK and America. Something that happens in one place will often affect somewhere else. The nation state i.e. the UK, is increasingly affected by decisions and laws made outside the UK e.g. China is rapidly growing in economic power and, therefore, will increasingly have more political power. The US has a powerful impact on our political and economic climate in the UK, e.g. the credit crunch.

In a post-modern world, the manufacturing of a product is often outsourced (parts are brought/item is made from outside the company to cut costs) where production costs are cheaper.

Global branding has transformed what people see, eat, how they dress, music, fashion and film, as well as world music, world cinema and food around the world. Different countries are becoming more similar. This can lead to cultural homogeneity which is the idea that many cultures feel under threat due to the possible destruction of the indigenous (traditional) culture.

Globalisation has led to a rise in nationalism i.e. where a country’s identity (often symbolised by a flag) is put on display to unite people e.g. the British test for people wanting to live in the UK is an attempt by the government to send out a message of cultural integration i.e. people must have some knowledge of British cultures and traditions to be allowed to live in the country. Nationalism has also led to the EU which means that lots of the powers the government had are lost to the EU which has complete control.

Knowledge

The post-modern perspective involves the lack of faith in meta-narratives which are big stories which explain how society works. Society has become a lot more chaotic i.e. it is a lot more difficult to explain using sociological theories.

There is a growing cynicism about science which is opposite to positivism and modernity which stress how science can answer many questions. E.g. conventional medicine can’t provide all the answers. This means that science can’t either. This is leading to an increase in alternative therapies such as herbal remedies. Another example is international terrorism. Science hasn’t provided security and answers; it has made society even more fragile and destructive and given additional problems due to the invention of bombs and nuclear weapons.

One final issue about knowledge is relativity. This means that there is no one theory which can give you the absolute truth.

These changes mean that how we think and how we use knowledge have also changed. Society has become disillusioned with ‘big ideas’ that claimed to have all the answers because these in reality only created more problems. In a rapidly changing and fragmented world, no theory can lay claim to the truth because of the sheer diversity of experience, institutions and contexts that exist in the world today. Post-modern theories, on the other hand, point out that there are competing theories, many of which will have something valid to offer about the nature of post-modern society.

As was said in Doctor Who, ‘It’s a massive universe, but a small world!’