Assessment of the Contribution of Postmodernism to Our Understanding of Society

Postmodernism is a loose-umbrella term that is used to describe a myriad of ideologies which originated after the modern era. It is that complex whole of perspectives which reject the core principles of modern( and enlightenment) thought. It stretches its ideological framework into various fields of knowledge which include—but are not limited to—Science, Economics, Politics, and Philosophy. The central claim of Postmodernism is that there is no one over-raiding metanarrative. In other words, there is no such thing as an absolute truth, nor is there such a thing as objectivity. Thus, reality becomes a matrix of perception which changes based on the interpretation upon which it was forged. Hence, Jean-Francois Lyotard— a French philosopher—defined

The concept of postmodernism is complex in that it does not share a common stream of thoughts but rather plays individual idea of post modernism into different parts of fields. According to A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory by Raman Selden, “some see it as simply the continuation and development of modernist ideas, while others have seen in postmodern art a radical break with classical modernism.” Depending on which field it is being applied on, postmodernism shows unalike features of trends. In architecture, literature, art, film, and more, postmodernism has shown distinct and unique identity. In literature, there is no clear beginning and endings as did in modernistic literature. The meaning of the literature is not to be found and meaningless in that postmodernism bases its root on ontological uncertainty.

A weakness of postmodernism, its central one according to critics, lies in its refusal to point out an alternative path for social life. Postmodernists assert that all aspects of social life are subject to the same dynamics so as such, there is

Post Modernism Perspective’s- "According to postmodern perspectives, existing theories have been unsuccessful in explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by post industrialization, consumerism, and global communications (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29).”Postmodern theories are based on the assumption that the rapid social change that occurs as societies move from modern to postmodern (or postindustrial) conditions has a harmful effect on people. One evident change is the significant decline in the influence of social institutions such as the family, religion, and education on people’s lives. Those who live in postmodern societies typically pursue individual freedom and do not want the structural constraints that are imposed by social institutions (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29). "Postmodern (or “postindustrial”) societies are characterized by an information explosion and an economy in which large numbers of people either provide or apply information, or they are employed in professional occupations (such as lawyers and physicians) or service jobs (such as fast-food servers and health care workers). (Kendall, 01/2014, pp. 29-30)

The word “postmodernism” first surfaced in architecture and the fine arts, perhaps in the 1950’s, referring to a new style. Later it acquired a meaning in the world of literature as well. It is not a theory or a creed: it is

Postmodernism could also be viewed as a continuation of modernism. Fredric Jameson argues that postmodernism is a culture that is marked by the “complacent play of historical allusion” (1988:105) The conception of postmodernism outlined here is a historical rather than a merely stylistic one. I cannot stress too greatly the radical distinction between a view for which the postmodern is one (optional) style among many others available and one which seeks to grasp it as the cultural dominant of the logic of late

​ “Becoming a modern society is about industrialization, urbanization, and rising levels of literacy, education, and wealth.” Samuel Huntington. Modernity is a term used to describe the evolution of life. It was a period of history that focused on the progression of the individual rather than the society. Modernity is a progressive idea dedicated to rejecting tradition and focusing in individualism and capitalism. Modernity is essentially the progression of technology, rationalization, and a movement towards capitalism. Modernity was essential to creating western civilization and the way the western culture continues to operate. Modernity is the progression of individual rights and creating a capitalist society, and the foundation of western civilization.

The explanation of sociological and philosophical theory relies on the interpretation of human behavior using theoretical frameworks. These theoretical frameworks have been an integral part over the years and have been used to understand phenomenon in contemporary living. Karl Marx, Max Weber. Friedrich Nietzsche and Sigmund Freud are some of the famous composers of theoretical frameworks that are used to interpret and analyze human living. For instance, Marx’s sentiments on capitalism are instrumental in understanding how the economy operates today and creating, to analyze working conditions and to reward employees with their wages and salaries. Among the wealth of theories that are used to analyze contemporary living, Robert K. Merton’s theory

Post modernism is a difficult view point to interpret or describe in a few words, as to provide an insightful description that remains succinct is quite ironic as postmodernism opposes the attempt to ascribe one broad meaning to any “thing”. Postmodernism has often been referred to as the destruction of the Metanarrative. Thought-out all cultural eras society has usually had a focal point in their cultures. The age of enlightenment used God, modernists used technology, postmodernism seems to have disregarded structure all together. We can only truly understand what postmodernism is if we can understand the ideas that modernism portrayed. Postmodernism is the rejection of the ideas and structure that is the foundation of modernism. The rise of postmodernism can be drawn down to the rejection of trust in authority and the beginning of questioning everything. Postmodernism can be evident and demonstrated through a multiple of mediums such as art, architecture and literate. It breaks sharply away from the past, takes elements from the past, but doesn’t endorse their original purpose.

In recent years few terms have been so widely discuss as ”postmodernism” in order to define its basic principals. Despite a lack of consensus, most authorities agree that postmodernism represents some kind of reaction to, or departure from, modernism and modernity (Brown 1993). The consumer of the modern society is distinguished by being self-reflexive and rational while the characteristics of the irrational postmodern consumer are hyperreality, fragmentation, reversals of production and consumption, decentring of the subject, paradoxical juxtapositions, and loss of commitment (Firat et

Let us begin with the history of Modernism and Postmodernism. Modernism is an array of cultural movements that includes art, architecture and design in the late 19th century. It started with artists who rebelled against the traditional teachings and wanted something radical, embracing the new social, political and economic aspects of the modern society. Artists such as Picasso, Monet and Pollock were painting in styles that has never been done before. Modernists believed that they could change the society and their way of life. It was bound to happen with culture and trend change in Western society after the World War I. However, it became very rigid and inflexible, becoming more and more irrelevant to the rapidly changing world. Postmodernism, as the name suggests, came after Modernism. Modernists spent much of the 20th century trying to forge a better world inspired by science and universal truths. “Less is more”, quoted by a famous German-American architect named Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, it was what every

This post modern society can either have a positive affect or a negative one especially as technology and the media have become more advanced and widespread, for example technology can be used to cure diseases as well as allow terrorist attacks to occur. Postmodernist fear that the media will become so overpowering a dominant that it will create hyper reality whereby ‘the distinctions between image and reality no longer exist’ (Jewkes, 2004: 26)

There are four sociological perspectives that can be used to analyse and explain objects of social study: functionalism, conflict theory, feminism and symbolic interactionism. Functionalism is a framework that believes society to be a complex system which has various parts that must work together to create a stable society that works in harmony, helping to meet society’s needs. These parts of society include; family, government, economy, media, education and religion. Functionalists believe that societies should function like organisms, as all individuals in various societies share the same set of key norms and values that are passed to new generations. This perspective has been criticised for its failure to take account of social change throughout generations and doesn’t encourage people to help change their social environment. It was also criticised

Contrary to the potentially misleading misnomer, postmodernism, rather than a continuation of modernist practice, represents more of a reaction it. It is important to recognize that there exists “two opposed moods or attitudes” (Barry 80) between modernism and postmodernism. As Barry states, “J. A. Cuddon’s entry in his Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory

Today postmodernism is considered as a reproduction of ancient traditions. Postmodernism like modernism, follows the ideas of rejecting boundaries between high and low forms of art, rejecting inflexible genre distinctions, and emphasizing parody, irony and playfulness.1