Topic 9: Globalisation, modernity and postmodernity

Question 1

Briefly outline what is meant by modernist theories

Answer 1

part of the enlightenment project which is the idea that society can progress through the use of human reason.
modernist theories set out to explain the workings of modern society and to identify the direction it should take if it should take if it is to progress

Question 2

Briefly outline the following characteristics of modern society:
a. The nation-state

Answer 2

The key political unit in the modern state. Each modern country has its own state shared culture and language. Organises social life eg education, policies, taxes etc

Question 3

Briefly outline the following characteristics of modern society:
b. Capitalism

Answer 3

economy of modern societies based on private ownerships of the means of production and use of wage labourers - results in class divide and therefore the nation state needs to regulate + control the conditions in which it operates

Question 4

Briefly outline the following characteristics of modern society:
Rationality, science and technology

Answer 4

• rational secular scientific ways of thinking instead of religious thinking
• technically efficient forms of organisations dominate working and social life eg factories and councils
• science is important in developing new technology and medicine/ tele communications

Question 5

Briefly outline the following characteristics of modern society:
d. Individualism

Answer 5

• ascribed status tradition and custom become less important
• choosing our own course of life and our own identity become more of an influence
  But structural inequalities limit us eg poverty

Question 6

Define globalisation.

Answer 6

the increasing interconnectedness of people across national boundaries

Question 7

Briefly outline how the following changes have helped to bring about globalisation:
a. Technological changes

Answer 7

• the internet has meant we can cross entire nations with the click of a mouth
• satellite communications - internet - Tv have created time space compression
• Beck- we live in a ‘risk society’ more risk are due to man made technology rather than natural disaster

Question 8

Briefly outline how the following changes have helped to bring about globalisation:
b. Economic changes

Answer 8

• economic factors plays a huge part in globalisation
• originally physical goods have now become weightless electronic economy
• 24 financial transactions - no physical limit
• contributes to risk society - 2008
• TNC’s operating beyond country boundaries

Question 9

Briefly outline how the following changes have helped to bring about globalisation:
Political changes

Answer 9

• Ohmae - we live in a borderless world
• TNC’s consumers have more power than nation states
• states are now less able to regulate companies
• disorganised capitalism

Question 10

Briefly outline how the following changes have helped to bring about globalisation:
Changes in culture and identity

Answer 10

ICT and mass media have made it ,much harder for countries to exists in solation today we have a global culture similar tastes are promotes and to be found across the globe

Question 11

What does Scott Lash and John Urry mean by the term ‘organised capitalism’?

Answer 11

when the nation state becomes important in regulating capitalism and maintaining the conditions which it operates

Question 12

Briefly outline the features of postmodernity

Answer 12

• intellectual movements (1970s)
• we live in an unstable, fragmented, media saturated global village
• image and reality are indistinguishable
• a fundamental break with modernity

Question 13

In postmodern society, how do we define ourselves?

Answer 13

by what we consume

Question 14

According to postmodernists, what is anti-foundationalism?

Answer 14

no sure foundations to knowledge. There are no objective criteria to prove whether something is right/ wrong

Question 15

Briefly outline the two consequences of anti-foundationalism.

Answer 15

1. true scientific knowledge is dead
2. a theory such as marxism is wrong as there is no absolute truth it is a big story or meta narrative, someone’s version of truth

Question 16

Give an example to show why postmodernists reject meta-narratives such as Marxism.

Answer 16

they help to create oppressive totalitarian grounds that impose their version of the truth on people
eg in the former soviet Union, the states attempt to remould society on marxists principles led to political repression and slave labour camps

Question 17

Briefly explain what is meant by a relativist position.

Answer 17

they argue that all views are true for those who hold them. no one has special access to the truth including sociologists should celebrate diversity of views

Question 18

According to Lyotard, what form does knowledge take in postmodern society?

Answer 18

post modern society with competing views is preferable to modern society where meta narratives claim a monopoly of truth
pm allows minority groups to be heard

Question 19

According to Baudrillard, what is postmodern society based on?

Answer 19

buying and selling knowledge in the form of images and signs. however unlike the past those today bear no relation to physical reality

Question 20

Briefly explain what Baudrillard means by simulacra. Give an example.

Answer 20

signs and symbols
eg tabloid newpapers about fictitious soap opera characters are ‘signs about signs’ rather than about an underlying reality

Question 21

Briefly explain what Baudrillard means by hyper-reality.

Answer 21

where the signs appear more real than reality itself and substitute themselves for reality. but as they dont represent anything they are meaningless

Baudrillard is critical of Tv as it blurs the boundary between reality/ fiction

Question 22

According to postmodernists, why has culture become fragmented and unstable?

Answer 22

due to the media which create an everchanging images, values and versions of the truth

Question 23

In postmodern society, why do people lose faith in meta-narratives?

Answer 23

different messages and ideas undermine peoples faith in meta naratives
confronted by so many versions of the truth people are less likely to believe whole heartedly in another version

Question 24

According to postmodernists, why is it easy to change our identity in postmodern society?

Answer 24

due being able to change our consumption patterns - picking and mixing cultural goods and media produced images to define ourselves

Question 25

According to Baudrillard, why have we lost the power to improve society?

Answer 25

as we cant even grasp reality so we have no power to change it. political activity to change the world is impossible so central goal of enlightenment project is unachievable - cant change society

Question 26

from a marxists perspective what are Philo and Miller criticism on postmodernism

Answer 26

• claim that we can construct our own identities overlooks effect of poverty in restricting opportunities
• they are wrong to claim that people cannot distinguish between reality and media image
• if we assume that all views are equally true how can we deny the holocaust

Question 27

how are postmodernist criticised

Answer 27

• for their negative view on the enlightenment project and their view that there is objective knowledge and we can make society a better place
  + identifies the importance of media and consumption

Question 28

Briefly outline how theories of late modernity differ from postmodernism.

Answer 28

unlike pm state we are not going into a pm era, we are continuing with modernity
pace of change has gone into overdrive
unlike pm, LM do subscribe to the enlightenment project . we can discover objective knowledge and use this to improve society

Question 29

what does Giddens argue about late modernity

Answer 29

we are in a stage of rapid change; key features of late modernity: disembedded ( lifted out of original context and no longer restricted by geographical boundary)
individualistic goals, no longer bound by tradition and custom; we have more choice

Question 30

what occurs due to society no longer being disembbeded

Answer 30

we are no longer reflexive (constantly monitor reflect on and modify our actions in the light of information about the possible risks and opportunities and risks that they might involve)

Question 31

what has contributed to globalisation

Answer 31

there is widespread and quick change everywhere; the internet has contributed to this and this has spread globalisation

Question 32

what does Beck argue about late modernity

Answer 32

enlightenment project is still relevant but we live in a increasingly risk society/ manufactured risks eg global warming and we are becoming more individualistic; we are no longer bound by tradition
therefore we are more reflexive and evaluate and calculate risks - Beck calls this reflexive modernisation

Question 33

what does the mass media do

Answer 33

gives us knowledge of risks and gives distorted view

Question 34

what does Beck argue about risks, politics and progress

Answer 34

Beck does not reject the enlightenment project
He is sceptical about science because of the risk if has brought eg global warming he still believes in rationality and progress and EP
we can be reflexive/ rational and evaluate risks rationally eg environmental movements

Question 35

evaluation of late modernity

Answer 35

challenge the concept of reflexibility:
this idea suggest we are free to evaluate a risk and reshape our lives to reduce the risk. Poor and less powerful in society do not have the same power/ opportunity to reshape and choose how to act or re shape their lives

Question 36

In what ways do Marxists agree with Beck and Giddens?

Answer 36

both believe in the enlightenment project of achieving objective knowledge and using it to improve society

Question 37

In what ways do Marxists disagree with Beck and Giddens?

Answer 37

some marxists believe that todays society has indeed moved from modernity to post modernity. They agree with post modernists that there have been major changes in society

Question 38

How do Marxists see postmodernity?

Answer 38

regard it as the product of the most recent stage of capitalism. for this reason in order to understand post modernity we must examine its relationship to capitalism

Question 39

According to Harvey, when did postmodernity arise?

Answer 39

for him capitalism is a dynamic system, constantly changing and developing new technologies and ways of organising production to make profits

Question 40

What does Harvey mean by flexible accumulation?

Answer 40

crisis of profitability ie capitalist crisis. This crisis gives rise to a new way of achieving profitability which Harvey calls this

Question 41

Briefly outline two ways in which changes to production have brought about the cultural characteristics of postmodernity.

Answer 41

• production of customised products for niche markets promotes cultural diversity
• easy switching of production from one product to another encourages constant shifts in fashion

Question 42

Briefly outline the changes to consumption brought about by flexible accumulation.

Answer 42

it has changed leisure, culture and identity into commodities. cultural products such as fashion, music , sports and computer games have become an important source of profit.

Question 43

Why does Jameson see postmodernity as a more developed form of capitalism?

Answer 43

Jameson argues, post modernity represents a more developed form of capitalism because it commodifies virtually all aspects of life, including our identities

Question 44

According to Harvey and Jameson, what political changes have occurred due to flexible accumulation?

Answer 44

it has weakened the working class and socialist movements. in their place, a variety of opposing movements have emerged such as women’s liberation and anti racism

Question 45

According to Best and Kellner, in what two ways do Marxists differ from postmodernists?

Answer 45

• they retain the faith in marxists theory as a means of explaining these changes
• they argue that the goal of the enlightenment project - to change society for the better - can still be achieved

Question 46

Briefly outline Marx’s view of how the Enlightenment project would be achieved.

Answer 46

by the WC leading a revolution to overthrow capitalism and create a better society.

Question 47

What is the strength of Marxist theories of postmodernity?

Answer 47

by relating the recent changes in society to the nature of capitalism, they are unable to offer a sociological explanation of them - something that postmodernists do