5. Modernity, Globalisation, Postmodernity and Late Modernity Flashcards
Modernity
The era in which modern ways of thinking were/are dominant.
Modern ways of thinking originated during the 18th century in the Enlightenment Project, where science became the basis of knowledge rather than religion/tradition
What key process portrayed the effectiveness of the enlightenment project? (modernity)
Industrialisation demonstrated the productive power that could be unleashed when science was applied to manufacturing
Most influential sociological analyst of modernity
Weber
What did Weber believe modernity involved?
Weber believed that modernity involved:
- A move towards scientific rationality
- Secularisation
- Bureaucratisation (large hierarchal organisations increasingly used to organise society)
Late modernity
Society has changed and developed new aspects since establishment of modernity
Aims to adapt more traditional theories of sociology to suit current society
Who developed the sociology of risk?
Beck
3 elements of Beck’s sociology of risk
Risk society
Reflexive modernisation
Individualism
Beck’s risk society
Modernity introduced a range of ‘risks’ that no other period had ever faced
Throughout history, societies have been faced by ‘hazards’ (like famine and plague) that were seen as being beyond human control, and ‘risks’ (E.g. war and invasion) that were seen as controllable
The ‘risks’ in late modern society (E.g. global warming) are seen as spiralling away from human control
Impact of globalisation on risk according to Beck
Globalisation means that the ‘risks’ are no longer confined to one country
Risk society and class according to Beck
Class differences are no longer important in shaping people’s chances in life
Reflexivity (Beck) in modern society
Reflexivity - Ability of people to reflect upon their lives and to consider different ways to act/live
Late modernity involves people becoming more reflexive
Impact of people becoming more reflexive (Beck)
People now question the political and technological assumptions of modernity
People become more aware of the risk and seek ways of minimising it in all aspects of their lives
People are becoming more aware of the risk and seek ways of minimising it. What’s the outcome of this? (Beck)
Risk and risk avoidance are now controlling the culture of society (E.g. more control over children such as not letting them walk to school in primary)
Individualism (Beck)
People now make individual choices regarding identity and lifestyle
Move towards individualism linked to move away from tradition
Criticisms of Beck’s society of risk (3)
Turner disagrees with risk, saying there has always been risk p[resent in society and an awareness of the need to prevent it
People do believe its possible to control the risks indicated by political movements aimed at preventing risks
Elliot suggests that rich are able to limit risk
What’s is crucial to understanding society according to postmodernism?
Having a deep awareness of the role of the media in creating an image of society we seek to live out
2 elements of postmodernism
Globalisation
Hybridity
Hybridity
The mixing of different cultures to create something new
Factors of globalisation
Involves decline in significance of time and space
Involves speed up of communications
People can communicate with one another very easily with digital media
Sense of being grounded in a particular place and time is lost due to the digital media
Impact of globalisation on identity
Difficult for individuals to develop and sustain a single sense of identity
People can change their identity easily
Key postmodernist of this topic
Baudrillard
What does Baudrillard emphasise regarding the shift to postmodernity?
Places emphasis on the role of the mass media in the shift to postmodernity
3 elements of Baudrillard’s postmodernism
The media and death of the social
Sign-objects and the consumer society
Hyperreality and simulacra
Baudrillard’s the media and death of the social: what is there a lack of interest in in contemporary society?
A lack of interest in social solidarity and politics
Baudrillard’s the media and death of the social: key feature of today’s society
Consumption of superficial culture
Baudrillard’s the media and death of the social: the death of the social
People experience the world through the consumption of the media, living isolated lives
Baudrillard’s the media and death of the social: behaviour and influence
Uncertainty over what’s real and fake in society as instead of the media reflecting how people behave, people reflect the media images of how to behave
Baudrillard’s sign-objects and consumer society: relationship changes due to increase in wealth in western societies
People are moved even further away from social relationships and even closer to relationships with their consumer lives
Baudrillard’s sign-objects and consumer society: what makes people buy items?
We don’t only buy items because their functionality is useful, but because they signify success
Baudrillard’s sign-objects and consumer society: “sign-objects”
Consumer goods and leisure activities are sign-objects as we consume the image they provide instead of what they actually are
Baudrillard’s hyperreality and simulacra: simulacra
A sign (E.g. a title) that represents something that doesn’t exist (E.g. Disneyland)
Baudrillard’s hyperreality and simulacra: how do we now live in a world of hyperreality?
We live in a world of hyperreality (a world of image) because most of our lives are based upon things that have no reality. Power is an illusion
Evaluation of Baudrillard: research
Baudrillard uses little research to back up his claims
Evaluation of Baudrillard: Philo and Miller
Argue that the emphasis on the media is dangerous because it can lead to denial of very real issues
Suggest that audiences are capable of thinking about reality behind TV images
