Postmodernism

Liquid Modernity There is chaos / uncertainty – structures are breaking down – nothing is no longer certain

Are no more – there are different versions of the truth Metanarratives Are no more – there are different versions of the truth

Globalisation leads to Cosmopolitanism The ideology that all human beings belong to a single community, based on a shared morality

Disembedding We interact with others regardless of geography, class, age, gender, sexuality

Media Saturated Media dominates and distorts the world

Simulacra Appears to reflect reality but has no bearing on reality

Hyper Reality Makes people feel they are experiencing the event, more real than real

Individualism / End of the Social Growing individualism and the ‘end of the social’ – there are fewer social bonds.

Pick n Mix Identities People form their own identities now, these are not based on national identities or even class, gender, and ethnicity anymore.

Sign Identity We buy things to express ourselves, not for their function

Identity created by globalisation. Cultural Hybridity Identity created by globalisation.

Alternatives

Giddens – late/high modernity – we live in a runaway world a ‘risk society’ but doesn’t mean we have moved into a new era – traditional sociological theories still relevant. Beck – risks have a higher chance of spiralling out of control. People have lost trust in governments and science to manage the risks – individualistic.

Harvey – the changes on postmodernist society such as media, transnational corporations etc. can be explained by Marxism – capitalism opening up new markets. Still in Late Modernity.