Do We Live in a Postmodern Do We Live in a Postmodern Society?Society?Part IIPart II

Lecture by Dr Christopher KollmeyerLecture by Dr Christopher Kollmeyer

Outline for LectureOutline for LectureKey Question: : Do we live in a postmodern society?

If so, it began around late 1960s and early 1970s

.

Possible Realms where Postmodernism Manifests

1. Time, Space, and Social Relations2. Arts, Pop Culture, and Aesthetics 3. Epistemology4. Societal Structures

• Economy• Politics• Geo-political affairs

The De-linking of Time and The De-linking of Time and SpaceSpace

The World Seems Smaller Time-Space Compression is Uneven

Social Consequences of the Social Consequences of the Separation of Time and Separation of Time and

SpaceSpace1. Human activity and culture can be ‘dis-

embedded’ from its local context.

2. Humans become inter-connected across much great geographic distances:

3. Declining stability and continuity in one’s social environment. Ontological Insecurity:

Source: Anthony Giddens. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity.

Cultural Hybridity: Cultural Hybridity: Radically Different Radically Different

Ontological Worlds CollideOntological Worlds CollideFast Food in Traditional Middle Eastern Society

The Burka in London

Hip-Hop in the Amazon Juggle

Pepsi and the Burka

PoMo in Fine Arts and Pop PoMo in Fine Arts and Pop Culture:Culture:

Symbols become De-linked Symbols become De-linked from Reality from Reality Signified

Signifier

An actual man

Symbol representing a man

Modern vs. Postmodern TV Modern vs. Postmodern TV AdvertsAdverts

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6122785873351184363&q=genre%3Aad_promo

Modern

Postmodern

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A08HQP_SlOA

PoMo Music Video: PoMo Music Video: De-linking Lyrics and De-linking Lyrics and

ImagesImages

Coldplay ‘The Hardest Part’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKRZv6NGjdc

Postmodern EpistemologyPostmodern Epistemology

Modernity: (The Grand Narrative)Scientific knowledge human progress

standardization of human life.

Postmodernity (The Death of the Grand Narrative)

• Reason and scientific knowledge have limits– Other ways of knowing

• Future doesn’t equal progress• Multiplicity of social outcomes, not uniformity

Social Change in the Late 20Social Change in the Late 20thth CenturyCentury

Technology– Mechanical Informational

Economy– National & industrial Global & de-

industrialService sector now dominates

Politics– Class culture and identity

Geo-political Affairs– Western Hegemony Multi-polar world

•Rise of non-Western powers