Globalisation,modernity,postmodernity

Question 1

Modern society
1st emerged in western europe late 18th century.
How can it be distinguished from previous societies?

Answer 1

•the nation state

• bounded territory ruled by a powerful centralised state.
  The state is the focal point of modern society, organising social life on a national basis.

is also an important source of identity for citizens e.g who identify with its symbols such as the flag.

• capitalism
The economy of modern society is capitalist.
Cap brought industrialisation of mod society w huge increases in wealth. Based on priv ownership of means of production.

The nation state becomes important in regulating capitalism and maintaining conditions under which it tolerated.

•rationality, science and technology
These ways of thinking dominates and influence of religious explanations of world declines.

Technically efficient forms of organisation such as bureaucracies and factories dom social and economic life.

•individualism
Tradition and custom and ascribed status become less important as the basis of our actions.

We experience greater personal freedom and can choose our own course in life, define own identity.

-(however structural inequalities e.g class remain important in shaping identity and restricting choices)

Question 2

Globalisation
We are increasingly affected by globalisation.
We live in one interdependent “global village”.

What are the four changes thag have helped bring this about?

Answer 2

1. Technological changes
2. Economic changes
3. Political changes
4. Changes in culture and identity

Question 3

Postmodernism
Foucault: knowledge
What is meant by anti foundatiomalism?
What are the consequences of this?
Ep dead and meta narrative

Answer 3

P argue that there are jo sure foundations to knowledge - no objective criteria we can use to prove whether a theory is t or f. —— known as anti foundationalism.

Has 2 consequences:
• the englightenment project of acheiving progress through true scientific knowledge is dead
cannot guarantee our knowledge is correct and thus cannot use it to improve society.

• any theory that claims to have the truth on how to create a better society , e.g marixism , is a mere meta narrative.
Its just a version of reality not the truth gherefore no reason to accept claims theory makes.

Question 4

Postmodernism
Baudrillard: hyper reality and simulacra

In relation to hyper reality, how does culture become fragmented and unstable?

Answer 4

P argue that culture and identity in p society differs from modern society because of the medias role in creating a hyper reality.

Media produces endless stream of changing images, values and versioms of the truth

As a result culture becomes fragmented and unstable so that theres no longer coherent or fixed set or values shared.

Question 5

3postmodernism

How does identity become destabilised in a postmodern society?

Answer 5

Instead of fixed identity ascribed by class we can now construct our own identity from wide range of images and lifestyle the media offers.

Can easily change identity bu changing consumption patters picking and mixing media produced images to define ourselves.

Question 6

Why is baudrillard pessimistic about the postmodern condition?

Answer 6

Media created hyper reality leaves us unable to distinguish image from reality.

This means we have lost power to improve society. If we cant even grasp reality we have no power to change it.

Political activity to change world is impossible and so central goal of EP is no achievable.

Question 7

Evaluation of postmodernism

Answer 7

✅ make important points about society today such as the significance of the media for culture and identity.

•from a Marxist perspective
- it ignores power and inequality. Ignores the rc hse of media as tool of domination.

• the claim that we can freely construct identities through consumption overlooks effect kf poverty in restricting such opportunities.

• criticised for pessimism about EP. Harvey rejects this pessimistic view and argues that political decisions do make a real difference to peoples lives and knowledge can be used to solve human problems.

Further even if theories can’t guarantee absolute truth many argue its close to it.

Question 8

Late modernity — rapid change often on global scale bc of two mey features of modernity: disembedding (breaks down geographical barriers and makes interaction more impersonal) and reflexivity.

Giddens : reflexivity
Why do we become reflexive?

What does reflexivity mean we have to do?

Under this what happens to culture?

Answer 8

Because tradition no longer tells us how to act we are forced to become reflexive.

We have to constantly monitor reflect and modify our actions in light of info abt the possible risks/ opportunities they may involve.

R means we are continually re evaluating our ideas and theories- nothing is fixed or permanent, eberything up for challenge.

Under these conditions culture in late mod society becomes increasingly unstable and subject to change.

Disembedding and r account for rapid and widespread social change in high modernity. They help drive globalisation by enabling social interaction to spread rapidly.

Question 9

Beck: risk society

todays late modern society -the risk society- faces new kinds of dangers:

Answer 9

In the past society faced dangers as a result of its inability to control nature.
E.g famine and disease.

Today the dangers are manufactured risks resulting from human activities e.g global warming.

Like giddens beck sees late mod as a period of growing individualisation in which we become increasingly reflective.

Trad no longer governs how we act we reflect on possible consequences and risks attached to choice

Results in risk consciousness
However great deal of knowledge of risks comes from media- distorted view