Do We Live in a Postmodern Do We Live in a Postmodern Society?Society?
Lecture by Dr Christopher KollmeyerLecture by Dr Christopher Kollmeyer
Outline for LectureOutline for LectureKey Question: : Do we live in a postmodern society?
Postmodernism Defined: Things characterised by a rupture with, and movement beyond, modernism.
Possible Realms where Postmodernism Manifests
1. Time, Space, and Social Relations2. Arts, Pop Culture, and Aesthetics 3. Epistemology4. Societal Structures
• Economy• Politics• Geo-political affairs
First, What is Modernity?First, What is Modernity?• It’s a historical period that began in the
1700s in Western Europe.• It resulted in massive social change in
which long-standing, traditional societies were rapidly and thoroughly transformed.– Economy: agrarian industrial– Human settlements: small & rural large & urban – Polity: empires nation-states– Epistemology: traditional, dogmatic rational,
scientific
• It spread unevenly across the world’s societies.– Imperial expansion (e.g. India, the Americas)– Imitation (e.g. Japan, Turkey)
Human Population GrowthHuman Population Growth: Example of Massive Social Change
Occurring During Modernity
Summary of Selected Social Summary of Selected Social Changes Occurring During Changes Occurring During
ModernityModernitySphere of Society
Pre-modernity
Modernity
Economy •Feudalism•Agrarian
•Capitalism•Industrial
Polity •Empire•Monarchy
•Nation-State•Democracy
Human settlements
•Rural•Small-scale
•Urban•Large-scale
Population •High birth rate•High mortality
•Falling birth rate•Low mortality
Knowledge •Dogmatic, traditional, stable
•Scientific, rational, changing
Time-Space Compression: Time-Space Compression: Technology Shrinks Our WorldTechnology Shrinks Our World
Source: David Harvey. 1990. The Condition of Postmodernity. Pp. 241
Sailing ships (1500s – 1840s)
Trains and stream ships (1840s – 1920s)
Propeller airplanes (1920s-1940s)
Jet airplanes (1940s –present)
Information Age and time-Information Age and time-space compressionspace compression
Intel Corp invents micro-chip in 1972
Information tech becomes generalized throughout society
Information now travels at light speed so-called ‘Death of Geography’
Time-Space Compression Occurs Time-Space Compression Occurs UnevenlyUnevenly
Source: Peter Dicken. 1998. Global Shift. Pp. 153.
Social Consequences of the Social Consequences of the Separation of Time and SpaceSeparation of Time and Space‘Dis-embedding’ of social relations:
Removing social activity from its localized context. Co-presence not required.
Globalized Social Interdependence: Distant events increasingly have local consequences
Ontological Insecurity: Declining stability and continuity in one’s personal identity and one’s surrounding social environment.
Source: Anthony Giddens. 1990. The Consequences of Modernity.
PoMo in Fine Arts and Pop PoMo in Fine Arts and Pop Culture:Culture:
Dominance of Signs and Dominance of Signs and SymbolsSymbolsSignified
Signifier
An actual man
Symbol representing a man
PoMo:PoMo:De-linking of Signifier and De-linking of Signifier and
SignifiedSignified‘Empty' or 'floating' signifiers:
Signifiers with vague, highly variable, or little connections to their signified.
≠
Perfume: Signified
Advert for Perfume: Signifier
Postmodern SignsPostmodern Signs
• Simulacrum: Simulacra are copies without originals. Or representations that bear little relation to any reality. Disneyland as Simulacrum par excellence
PoMo in the Fine Arts:PoMo in the Fine Arts:Andy Warhol and the Blurring of High and Low Culture, of Near and Far, of Past and
Present
PoMo in the Fine Arts:PoMo in the Fine Arts:The Many Identities of Cindy The Many Identities of Cindy
ShermanSherman
Modern vs. Post-modern TV Modern vs. Post-modern TV AdvertsAdverts
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6122785873351184363&q=genre%3Aad_promo
Modern
Post-modern
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A08HQP_SlOA