If you were to tell someone from 50 years ago that, with a few taps on our screen, we can order anything we want straight to our door, you'd probably have a lot of explaining to do, and many questions to answer.
Humanity is no stranger to rapid social change, but particularly in the last few decades, we've come a long way as a society. But why, and how? How have we changed and developed? What are the effects of this?
Postmodernism may help with some of these questions!
- We will present the key issues in the sociological study of postmodernism.
- We'll go over the main characteristics of postmodernity.
- We'll then evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the concept.
Postmodernism definition
Postmodernism, also known as postmodernity, is a sociological theory and intellectual movement that arose after the period of modernity.
Postmodern theorists believe that the era we are living in can be classed as postmodern due to its fundamental differences from the age of modernity. This monumental change lead sociologists to argue that society must also be studied differently now.
Modernism vs postmodernism
It may also help to refresh our knowledge of modernism, or modernity, to understand postmodernism.
Modernity refers to the time period or era of humanity that was defined by scientific, technological, and socioeconomic changes that started in Europe around the year 1650 and ended in around 1950.
Although there is no definitive starting point, many believe that postmodernism started after modernity. Let's now start considering what makes up a postmodern society.
The characteristics of postmodernism in sociology
The characteristics of postmodernism are what may indicate that we are going through a postmodern era. These characteristics are unique to the postmodern era, and whilst there are many of these, we will look at some key features below.
What are the key features of postmodernism in sociology?
We'll be looking at the following key features of postmodernism in sociology:
- Globalisation
- Consumerism
- Fragmentation
- Cultural diversity
- Decreasing relevance of metanarratives
- Hyperreality
As well as defining each of these terms, we'll go through examples.
Globalisation in postmodernism
As you might know, globalisation refers to the interconnectedness of society due to the development of telecommunication networks. It has brought people closer together due to the decreased importance of geographical barriers and time zones. Globalisation has changed the way individuals interact all over the world, both in professional and social settings.
As a result of this process, there is also a lot more movement; of people, money, information, and ideas. Below are examples of these movements, some of which you may already have experienced.
We have endless options for international travel.
It is possible to work remotely for a company based overseas without ever needing to travel.
One can place an order for a product in another country with just internet access.
It is possible to collaborate with people online to publish work or projects, e.g. for a journal article.
Fig. 1 - Globalisation is a key feature of postmodernism.
Globalisation has brought immense advantages for organisations, such as governments, companies, and charities. It has also affected numerous processes, such as aid and trade, supply chains, employment and stock market exchanges to name a few.
According to sociologist Ulrich Beck, due to globalising systems, we are in an information society; however, we are also in a risk society. Beck claimed that globalisation's ability to bring people closer together presents many man-made risks, most notably the increased threat of terrorism, cybercrime, surveillance, and environmental damage.
Regarding developments in globalisation, technology and science, Jean François Lyotard (1979) argues that scientific advancements today are not used for the same purpose as in the era of modernity. The following quote, taken from his essay 'The Postmodern Condition', is insightful.
In... today's financial backers of research, the only credible goal is power. Scientists, technicians, and instruments are purchased not to find truth, but to augment power."
For both the positive and negative reasons outlined above, globalisation is a key feature of postmodernism.
Consumerism in postmodernism
Postmodernists argue that today's society is a consumerist society. They assert that we can construct our own lives and identities through the same processes that are used when we go shopping. We can 'pick and mix' parts of our identities according to what we like and want.
This was not the norm in the period of modernity, as there were fewer opportunities to change one's lifestyle in the same way. For instance, a farmer's child would have been expected to stay in the same profession as their family.
This was likely due to the security of the profession and the commonly held value that livelihood should be prioritised over the luxury of choice. As a result, it was common for individuals to stay in one job 'for life'.
In postmodern times, however, we are accustomed to a multitude of choices and opportunities for what we want to do in life. For instance:
At 21, an individual graduates with a marketing degree and works in a marketing department in a big company. After a year, they decide they would like to move to sales instead and progress to the management level in that department. Alongside this role, the individual is a fashion enthusiast looking into creating their own sustainable clothing line to develop outside working hours.
The example above shows the fundamental differences between modern and postmodern societies. We can make choices that suit our interests, preferences, and curiosities, rather than what is simply functional/traditional.
Fig. 2 - Postmodernists believe we can construct our lives by 'shopping' for what we like.
Fragmentation in postmodernism
Postmodern society can be argued to be very fragmented.
Fragmentation refers to the breaking down of shared norms and values, leading to individuals adopting more personalised and complex identities and lifestyles.
Postmodernists claim that today's society is much more dynamic, fast-changing, and fluid because we can make different choices. Some claim that as a result, postmodern society is less stable and structured.
Linked to the concept of a consumerist society, in a fragmented society we can 'pick and mix' different pieces of our lives. Each piece, or fragment, may not necessarily be linked to the other, but as a whole, they make up our lives and choices.
If we consider the above example of the individual with a marketing degree, we can follow their career choices and see that each part of their career is a 'fragment'; namely, their career consists of not only their daily job but also of their business. They have both marketing and sales backgrounds. Their career is not one solid element but is made up of smaller pieces that define their overall career.
Similarly, our identities can be made up of many fragments, some of which we may have chosen, and others we may have been born with.
An English-speaking British citizen travels to Italy for a job opportunity, learns Italian, and adopts Italian culture. They marry an English and Malay-speaking Singaporean national who is also working in Italy. After a few years, the couple moves to Singapore and has kids who grow up speaking English, Malay and Italian, and practising traditions from each culture.
Postmodernists argue we have much more choice about which fragments we can choose for ourselves in all aspects of our lives. Due to this, structural factors, such as socioeconomic background, race, and gender have less influence over us than before and are less likely to determine our life outcomes and choices.
Fig. 3 - Postmodern society is fragmented, according to postmodernists.
Cultural diversity in postmodernism
As a result of globalisation and fragmentation, postmodernity has resulted in increased cultural diversity. Many Western societies are very culturally diverse and are melting pots of different ethnicities, languages, food, and music. It is not uncommon to find popularised foreign cultures as part of another country's culture. Through this diversity, individuals can identify with and adopt aspects of other cultures into their own identity.
The global popularity of K-pop (Korean pop music) in recent years is a well-known example of cultural diversity. Fans across the world identify as K-pop fans, follow Korean media, and enjoy the cuisine and language regardless of their own nationalities or identities.
The decreasing relevance of metanarratives in postmodernism
Another key feature of postmodernity is the decreasing relevance of metanarratives - broad ideas and generalisations about how society works. Examples of well-known metanarratives are functionalism, Marxism, feminism, and socialism. Postmodernist theorists contend that they are less relevant in today's society because it is too complex to be explained entirely with metanarratives that claim to contain all objective truths.
In fact, Lyotard argues that there is no such thing as truth and that all knowledge and realities are relative. Metanarratives can reflect someone's reality, but this does not mean it is an objective reality; it is simply a personal one.
This is linked to social constructionist theories. Social constructionism suggests that all meanings are socially constructed in light of the social context. This means that any and all concepts we consider to be objective are based on shared assumptions and values. Ideas of race, culture, gender etc. are socially constructed and do not actually reflect reality, although they may seem real to us.
Hyperreality in postmodernism
The merging of media and reality is known as hyperreality. It is a key feature of postmodernism because the distinction between media and reality has blurred in recent years as we spend more time online. Virtual reality is a perfect example of how the virtual world meets the physical world.
In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic has further blurred this distinction as billions across the world shifted their work and social presence online.
Jean Baudrillard coined the term hyperreality to denote the merging of reality and representation in the media. He states that the media, such as news channels, represents issues or events to us that we usually consider reality. However, to a certain extent, representation replaces reality and becomes more important than reality itself. Baudrillard uses the example of war footage - namely that we take curated, edited war footage to be the reality when it isn't.
Let's evaluate the theory of postmodernism.
Postmodernism in sociology: strengths
What are some strengths of postmodernism?
Postmodernism in sociology: criticisms
What are some criticisms of postmodernism?
Some sociologists claim we are not in a postmodern era but simply in an extension of modernity. Anthony Giddens in particular states that we are in a period of late modernity and that the main social structures and forces that existed in modernist society continue to shape current society. The only caveat is that certain ‘issues’, such as geographical barriers, have less prominence than before.
Ulrich Beck argued we are in a period of second modernity, not postmodernity. He argues that modernity was an industrial society, and that second modernity has replaced this with an 'information society'.
It is difficult to criticise postmodernism because it is a fragmented movement that is not presented in a particular method.
Lyotard's claim about how metanarratives do not make sense is in itself a metanarrative; this is self-defeating.
It is incorrect to claim that social structures do not dictate our life choices; many people are still constrained by socioeconomic status, gender, and race. People are not as free to construct their own identities as postmodern theorists believe.
Marxist theorists such as Greg Philo and David Miller assert that postmodernism ignores the fact that the media is controlled by the bourgeoisie (ruling capitalist class) and is therefore not separate from reality.
Postmodernism - Key takeaways
- Postmodernism, also known as postmodernity, is a theory and intellectual movement that arose after modernity. Postmodernists believe that we are in a postmodern era because of the fundamental differences from the period of modernity.
- Globalisation is a key feature. It refers to the interconnectedness of society due to telecommunication networks. Sociologists claim globalisation brings certain risks in postmodern society.
- Postmodern society is more fragmented, which is the breaking down of shared norms and values. Fragmentation leads to more personalised and complex identities and lifestyles.
- The strengths of the concept of postmodernity are that it recognises the changing nature of society and social structures/processes, and challenges our assumptions.
- However, it has a number of weaknesses, including the fact that some sociologists believe we never left the age of modernity.
References
- Lyotard, J.F. (1979). The Postmodern Condition. Les Éditions de Minuit
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