Globalisation, modernity and postmodernity Flashcards
What are the 4 features of modern society?
- Nation state
- Capitalism
- Rationality, science and technology
- Individualism
What does the nation state argue?
-The state is the focal point of modern society= key political unit
What have modern states created?
Administrative bureaucracies, educational, welfare and legal institutions to regulate citizens lives
What is capitalism?
Private ownership of the means of production
What does the nation state regulate?
The conditions under which capitalism operates
What is modern society organised on?
Fordist principles i.e. mass production
What does rationality, science and technology lead to?
Declining influence of religion
What does individualism refer to?
Greater personal freedom and the ability to define our own identity
What is the definition of globalisation?
Increasing interconnectedness of people across national boundaries
What do we now live in?
‘Global village’
What is the first change that has led to globalisation?
Technological changes
-Satellite communications, internet, TV= time-space compression
What type of society do we now live in?
‘Risk-society- Beck
-Threats to our wellbeing come from human-technology
What is the second change that has led to globalisation?
Economic changes
-Global economy= weightless- activity involves the production of information, rather than physical goods e.g. data processing is distributed through global electronic networks
What operate on a global scale?
Trans-national companies- they form a seperate global capitalist class
What is the third change that has led to globalisation?
Political changes
What does Ohamae argue?
We live in a ‘borderless world’ i.e. TNC and consumers have more economic power than national governments - undermines the nation state
What is the fourth change that has led to globalisation?
Changes in culture and identity
-We live in a global culture where western-owned media companies spread western culture to the rest of the world
-Globalisation undermines traditional sources of identity like class
What questions does this raise?
- Does this mean we are no longer living in modernity- are we in a post-modern society?
- Do we need new theories to understand society?
What is postmodernity?
-Argues that we live in an unstable, fragmented, media-saturated global village
-There are no sure foundations to knowledge- no objective criteria to prove a theory as correct
What do postmodernists argue about the Enlightenment theory?
It is dead- we cannot use knowledge to improve society as we don’t know whether that knowledge is correct
What are all-embracing theories considered as?
Meta-narratives- big story
-No-one has access to the truth- all accounts of reality are equally valid
Who talks about Simulacra?
Baudrillard
What does simulacra refer to?
Images that have no original in reality but that can be produced to create a more satisfying result than reality itself
What is a hyper-reality?
A condition in which what is real and what is fiction are seamlessly blended together
What does Baudrillard see as a major source of simulacra?
TV- our inability to distinguish between image and reality
What happens to culture?
-Differs fundamentally from modern society because the media-produces ever-changing images= culture becomes fragmented and unstable
What happens to identity?
Becomes de-stabilised as we can now construct our own identity e.g. ‘pick and mix’ identity
What are the strengths of postmodernism?
- The rejection of all-embracing meta-narratives is valuable
- Makes important points about the significance of the media on culture and identity
Who criticises postmodernism?
Philo and Miller:
1. Ignores power and equality i.e. ruling class use the media to promote their views
2. Overlooks the effects of poverty on restricting how people construct their identities
3. By assuming all views are true, it becomes valid to assume that the Nazi’s were right to murder millions during the holocaust- morally indefensible
What do theories of late modernity suggest about the rapid changes we are witnessing?
They are a continuation of modernity
What are happening to the key features of modernity?
Being intensified e.g. pace of social change is increasing
What have we entered?
Late phase of modernity
What does Giddens argue is one feature of modernity?
Disembedding- no longer need face-to-face contact to interact- its become much more interpersonal
What are we forced to become?
-Tradition and custom have become much less important- no longer a guide on how to act
-Forced to become more ‘reflexive’- monitor, reflect and modify our actions in light of information about their possible risks and opportunities
What does reflexivity mean?
Nothing is fixed or permanent- everything is up for challenge
-Culture in late modern society= increasingly unstable
What is a risk-society?
Beck- dangers we face today are manufactured risks as a result of human action e.g. climate change
What is late modernity characterised by according to Beck?
Growing individualisation- thinking for ourselves and taking account of the risks attached to different courses of action= reflexive modernisation
What is a strength of late modernity theories?
They provide a sociological alternative to postmodernism- recognises we can use knowledge to improve society and reduce risks we face
Why are late modernity theories criticised?
Not everyone is able to re-shape their lives to reduce exposure to risks, as they suggest e.g. poorer individuals are exposed to more environmental risks as they are more likely to live in heavily polluted areas, but they can’t move out of these areas due to lack of income
