Postmodernism

Question 1

When did modernity begin?

Answer 1

1700’s

Question 2

When did post modernity begin?

Answer 2

1980’s

Question 3

What do post modernists believe?

Answer 3

Society is changing in a way that modernist theory’s like Marxism, functionalism, feminism and interactionalism could not explain
-The rise of new media, rapid technology growth and globalization meant traditional sources of identity’s like gender, class and ethnicity are irrelevant
-Changes reflected in changing interests like lgbtq+, disabled, world peace movements and climate change
-Due to social change this means life’s become insecure and unpredictable
-New approaches need to understand this changing world

Question 4

Key features of post modernist society?

Answer 4

Globalization
Disembedding
Chaos and uncertainty

Question 5

Globalization- what is this?

Answer 5

The growing interconnectedness of society’s across the world with the spread of the same culture, consumer goods and economic interests

Question 6

Globalization- technology changes?

Answer 6

We can now cross countries in a matter of hours, or exchange information across the globe with a click of the mouse

Question 7

Globalization- Changes in culture and identity?

Answer 7

-Makes it harder for culture to exist in isolation from one another
-Today we find ourselves in a global culture in which western owned media companies spread western culture to the rest of the world
E.g. Nike selling the same consumer goods in many countries helping to promote similar taste

Question 8

Features- who believed in disembedding?

Answer 8

Giddens

Question 9

Features- what does Giddens say about disembedding?

Answer 9

Argues people lives embedded to local context but are influenced by the global framework
For example, on the internet we can interact with others and even shop regardless of physical location and time
-The way socialize relationships are lifted out of context and are no longer confined by space of time

Question 10

Features- who believed in chaos and uncertainty?

Answer 10

Bauman 1992

Question 11

Features- Chaos and uncertainty bauman, what does this mean?

Answer 11

Argues society is in a state of liquid modernity where structures such as the family and social class are breaking down
-PM argued to call the family and institution is noncence, this array of family types in our society such as gay couples, unmarried couples, lone parents, shared living
We are no longer a typical family

Question 12

Define meta narrative who made this?

Answer 12

Because we are constantly changing society so rapidly society can’t be applied to general theories like Marxism, functionalism and femenism
Loytard

Question 13

Loytard- what does she think about meta narratives?

Answer 13

They are true society’s turned into many different groups and has been fragmented
Technology causes not solved problems

Question 14

Who believes individualism?

Answer 14

Loytard

Question 15

Loytard- what is individualism?

Answer 15

Everybody is becoming different and how we have very weak links that tie together, relationships, health and education

Question 16

What is media saturated society?

Answer 16

The images the media portray have distorted society view

Question 17

Media saturated society- baudrillard, what does simulacra?

Answer 17

Images that appear to reflect things in the real world but have no reality

Question 18

Media saturated society- Baudrillard, what is hyper reality?

Answer 18

A view of the world which is created and defined by the media with the image of an event more real than the event it is meant by decipting

Question 19

Features- you are what you buy, what sociologist said this?

Answer 19

Bauman

Question 20

Bauman- you are what you buy?

Answer 20

Argues that people by goods not for usefulness but as identity symbols for the image and the impression of themselves they wish to protect
-People can build themselves to be whatever they want to be around an almost unlimited choice of leisure activity’s and consumer goods

Question 21

McDonaldization- what is this?

Answer 21

The process by which the principles of the fast food restaurant are coming to dominate more and more sectors of American society as well as the rest of the world
The central concepts employed in the fast food industry have spread to restaurants, toystory, bookstores this is called chain mentality

Question 22

Macdonaldization- Max webers rationalizing?

Answer 22

Process of replacing traditional and emotional thought with reason and efficiency
-Believed most societies throughout history were governed by tradition and that the most significant trend in modern society is increasing rationalization of every part of lives
-Believed that rationalization would continue until our society would become an iron cage, dehumanizing everyone and creating an extreme level of uniformity

Question 23

McDonaldization- ritzer?

Answer 23

MacDonald’s as a analogy for the over rationalization of society
The popularity of the restaurant itself is a perfect example of rationalization because traditional, home-cooked family meals have been replaced with meals of practicality and convenience
Continued rationalization has led to sectors beyond the fast food industry becoming increasingly uniform and automated

Question 24

McDonaldization- 4 words?

Answer 24

Efficiency
Calculability
Predictability
Control and the replacment of human and non human technology

Question 25

Evaluation of PM- Giddens late modernity and reflexivity?

Answer 25

-Accept change like globalization but argues these changed are a continuation of modern society in an intensified form not a new era of postmodernism
-Late modernity characterized by reflexibility meaning the knowledge we gain from society can affect the way we act in it

Question 26

Evaluations of post modernism- Beck ‘risk society’?

Answer 26

Argues we are in a second modernity known as reflexative modernity were there are high levels of uncertainty and risk
-Risk seen in the family as high divorce rates

Question 27

Evaluations of post modernism- Harvey and Marxism?

Answer 27

Suggest many of changes by pm can be explained by theory’s like Marxism
E.g. Globalization reflects capitalism opening up new sources of profits

Question 28

Evaluation strengths?

Answer 28

+Highlights importance of cultural change
+Enphasis the construction of identity
+Challenge sociological meta narrative causing sociologists to reflect on other assumptions

Question 29

Evaluation weekness?

Answer 29

-Assumes people are passive and easily influenced by the media
-Exagerated the scale of social change, cultural taste still influence by class, gender and ethnicity