5.0 What are the main characteristics of post modern society ?

Postmodernism isn’t a word that’s easily defined, and its origins aren’t easily traced. We find it
used to describe architecture, art, technology, and literature among other areas; either
originating from modernism or opposed to it. Most notable is postmodern thought, which
involves several key characteristics that are generally acknowledged by many of those who
subscribe to the philosophy. In this instance, postmodernism is anti-modern, as evidenced in the
following list.Post-modernist thinkers argue that the late-20th century society progressed into a
post-modern age which is characterised by:

 Changes in the nature of work (e.g. more flexible working practices)

 The globalisation of both production and consumption
 The shrinking of space and time because of developments in communication networks
like the internet, e-mail and satellite television
 The loss of faith in science as seen in the rise of environmental politics
 The emphasis on consumption of information
 The emphasis on style and conspicuous consumption
 Cultural diversity and pluralism in a range of social contexts e.g. the family, media, youth
culture, etc.

Characteristics of postmodernity have been identified in terms of work, culture, identity,

globalisation and knowledge.

Work

Much of the economic activity is dominated by tertiary production i.e. service based jobs.
Lincoln is becoming a microcosm which means that it’s broadly representative of the UK
economic trends. Retail has greatly expanded, hence the saying ‘shop till you drop’. We are all
consumers and shopping has become a form of ‘modern religion’. With the expansion of the
university in Lincoln, the pubs and clubs scene has widely expanded. Tourism is also hugely
important in Lincoln, especially heritage tourism and the historical side of the city. There is also
the Christmas market which attracts tourists through its traditional element.

Leisure activities such as gyms are expanding creating more jobs as is the expansion of fast
food outlets which are known for taking on students as staff for their first jobs. Garden centres
such as Whisby are becoming a lot bigger but are also selling a wider range of items from
flowers to books to clothes and food. There is also an increase in car showrooms with cars
becoming more popular and families having more than one car.

A job is no longer a job for life with more and more people being made redundant. Work
practices are also face more flexible. One of the key values of post modernism is the value of
choice. The traditional 9-5 job still exists but is not as common with people working from home
or working part time. Single parents are becoming more and more able to choose their hours to
fit in with school hours.

We are often described as a 24-7 society. With shift work continuing into the night and shops
such as ASDA and Tesco open 24 hours a day throughout the night meaning there are always
people working.

There is also an increase in childcare. With more and more single parents working there is a
need for more childcare which can begin at breakfast and continue after school and sometimes
into the evening.

Culture

We are becoming more commonly described as a ‘media saturated society’ meaning that the
media is becoming much more important in our lives and having much more control over
society. The increasing conventional media such as the TV, newspapers and the internet mean
that we can witness real events across the world, sometimes in real time. The world is
becoming much smaller because of the developments in ICT and technology.

There is a lot more on the TV telling society what not to wear and what not to eat which is
shaping society and making it more competitive. Along with reality TV and soaps which give
people ideas on what they should look like and act like. There is an increase in daytime
programmes showing people how to create a nice garden, makeover the house and looking at
the best kinds of properties which are giving people in society ideas on how they should live and
what their homes and gardens should look like.

Society these days is becoming much more culturally diverse meaning there are many people
from other countries or cultures moving into Britain.
 There are lots of programmes on TV now which show you how to change your image and
your partner’s image. Added to the amount of celebrities bringing out fitness DVDs there is an
increase in people trying to look as skinny as possible to look like the celebrities.

Lifestyle is also shaped by TV programmes and celebrities and is image. In the post-
modern world there is an increase in styles in society with music, fashion, gardens, cars and
houses meaning that no one is the same and there are many more choices you can make in
your life making everyone different. This means there is no one culture or style, everyone is
different.

Identity

Identity in society today is much more fluid with people being able to choose what they want to
be. Looks and personality can be changed, for example, Madonna constantly changes her
image and style of music to match the time’s crazes.

In Post-modern society we are constantly influenced by what we see both on TV and in

magazines, what we read and how others look e.g. everyone is trying to become as skinny as
the celebrities and copy their fashions. However, these days we celebrate difference. Although
everyone wants to be skinny and fashionable they don’t want to look the same. They all want to
be better than each other and it’s seen as good to be different in society and not to blend in with
the crowd.

There is also a lot more choice in society today, from clothes and music to hair styles, jewellery
and make-up. With so much to choose from everyone is different.

Old identities were derived from the family background, your occupation and where you live in
the area, whether you live in the poorer or richer areas. However, new identies focus on
designer labels, styles of car and the house you live in as well as the area with many people
competing to be the best. This means that image is a lot more important that it used to be.

Steve Taylor argues that ‘society has been transformed into a huge shopping mall’ full of
competition.
Globalisation

There has been a big rise in global brands such as McDonalds, also known as transnational
companies, which are companies that have branches in many parts of the world.

The world has become much smaller through improvements in transport and communication.
The world is commonly described as a global village which means that the world is a massive
place, however, due to the improvements made in transportation and communication, seems a
lot smaller.

Countries are now both politically and economically interconnected e.g. the UK and America.
Something that happens in one place will often affect somewhere else. The nation state i.e. the
UK, is increasingly affected by decisions and laws made outside the UK e.g. China is rapidly
growing in economic power and, therefore, will increasingly have more political power. The US
has a powerful impact on our political and economic climate in the UK, e.g. the credit crunch.

In a post-modern world, the manufacturing of a product is often outsourced (parts are

brought/item is made from outside the company to cut costs) where production costs are
cheaper.

Global branding has transformed what people see, eat, how they dress, music, fashion and film,
as well as world music, world cinema and food around the world. Different countries are
becoming more similar. This can lead to cultural homogeneity which is the idea that many
cultures feel under threat due to the possible destruction of the indigenous (traditional) culture.

Globalisation has led to a rise in nationalism i.e. where a country’s identity (often symbolised by
a flag) is put on display to unite people e.g. the British test for people wanting to live in the UK is
an attempt by the government to send out a message of cultural integration i.e. people must
have some knowledge of British cultures and traditions to be allowed to live in the country.
Nationalism has also led to the EU which means that lots of the powers the government had are
lost to the EU which has complete control.
Knowledge

The post-modern perspective involves the lack of faith in meta-narratives which are big stories
which explain how society works. Society has become a lot more chaotic i.e. it is a lot more
difficult to explain using sociological theories.

There is a growing cynicism about science which is opposite to positivism and modernity which
stress how science can answer many questions. E.g. conventional medicine can’t provide all the
answers. This means that science can’t either. This is leading to an increase in alternative
therapies such as herbal remedies. Another example is international terrorism. Science hasn’t
provided security and answers; it has made society even more fragile and destructive and given
additional problems due to the invention of bombs and nuclear weapons.

One final issue about knowledge is relativity. This means that there is no one theory which can
give you the absolute truth.

These changes mean that how we think and how we use knowledge have also changed.
Society has become disillusioned with ‘big ideas’ that claimed to have all the answers because
these in reality only created more problems. In a rapidly changing and fragmented world, no
theory can lay claim to the truth because of the sheer diversity of experience, institutions and
contexts that exist in the world today. Post-modern theories, on the other hand, point out that
there are competing theories, many of which will have something valid to offer about the nature
of post-modern society.

It is a lot more difficult to explain using sociological theories. There is a growing cynicism about
science which is opposite to positivism and modernity which stress how science can answer
many questions. E.g. conventional medicine can't provide all the answers. This means that
science can't either. This is leading to an increase in alternative therapies such as herbal
remedies. Another example is international terrorism. Science hasn't provided security and
answers; it has made society even more fragile and destructive and given additional problems
due to the invention of bombs and nuclear weapons. One final issue about knowledge is
relativity. This means that there is no one theory which can give you the absolute truth. These
changes mean that how we think and how we use knowledge have also changed. Society has
become disillusioned with 'big ideas' that claimed to have all the answers because these in
reality only created more problems. In a rapidly changing and fragmented world, no theory can
lay claim to the truth because of the sheer diversity of experience, institutions and contexts that
exist in the world today. Post-modern theories, on the other hand, point out that there are
competing theories, many of which will have something valid to offer about the nature of post-
modern society.

References

 "postmodernism: definition of postmodernism in Oxford dictionary (American English)

(US)". oxforddictionaries.com.

 Ruth Reichl, Cook's November 1989; American Heritage Dictionary's definition of

"postmodern" Archived 9 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine.
 Berman, Marshall (1982) All That Is Solid Melts Into Air: The Experience of Modernity
(ISBN 0-14-010962-5).