URBAN MISSIONS MINISTRIES

SECOND SESSION
 URBAN SOCIETIES

• A COMPLEX SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, RELIGIONS, INFORMATION,

TRANSPORTATION EXISTS
• IN EUROPE, MANY WERE WALLED TO PROTECT FROM OUTSIDE INVADERS
• TODAY MANY CITIES ARE ERECTED WITHOUT THE WALLS
• MASS MIGRATION OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AND ETHNIC GROUPS
• SOME CITIES BASED ON ‘SPECIALTIES’ LIKE POLITICS, BUSINESS, OR EDUCATION
 URBANIZATION

• MIXTURE OF CULTURES AND ETHNIC GROUPS

• CITIES BECOMING A MELTING POT OF IDEAS AND CULTURES

• PEOPLE FROM E2 AND E3 AREAS CONVERGE

• SOME FROM “UNREACHED PEOPLE GROUPS”

 EFFECTS OF URBANIZATION
• INCREASED DEMANDS ON THE RESOURCES AND INFRA-STRUCTURE OF THE CITY
• STRAIN ON PUBLIC WORKS (WATER, WASTE MANAGEMENT, ROADS, ETC.)
• FORCED CHANGE IN MANY ASPECTS OF LIFE, FAMILY LIFE
• DISCONNECTED FROM ONE ANOTHER
• GENERATION GAP
• HOMELESSNESS
• POLLUTION AND TRAFFIC
• CRIMES
 MODERNITY
FOUR CHRACTERISTICS:
(1) A SENSE OF RADICAL FREEDOM;
(2) A SENSE OF AUTOMATICALLY ASKING WHETHER SOMETHING MAKES RATIONAL SENSE;
(3) A SENSE OF PERCEIVING ALL HUMAN EXPERIENCE IN ITS SPECIFIC HISTORICAL-
EVOLUTIONARY CONTEXT; AND, BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONALITY OF ALL KNOWLEDGE,
(4) THE NEED TO ENGAGE PERSONS WITH DIFFERENT VIEWS AND EXPERIENCES IN DEEP-
DIALOGUE SO AS TO LEARN MORE.

- PERIOD OF MARKED QUESTIONING OF REJECTION OF TRADITION.

POSTMODERNITY -- OR EXPANDING MODERNITY? By: Swidler, Leonard, Journal of Ecumenical Studies,

00220558, Winter2011, Vol. 46, Issue 1
 POST-MODERNITY
LYOTARD
POSTMODERNISM: THIS IS A CONDITION IN WHICH INDIVIDUALS HAVE LOST FAITH IN UNIVERSAL BELIEF SYSTEMS
OR 'GRAND NARRATIVES'. (EXAMPLES INCLUDE SOCIALISM; COMMUNISM; FEMINISM; RELIGIONS)
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF POST-MODERNISM INCLUDE:
• HAVING TO LIVE WITH DOUBTS AND UNCERTAINTIES AND ANXIETIES, SKEPTICISM; WHO CAN YOU TRUST?
• THE WORLD HAS AN AMBIGUOUS FEEL ABOUT IT; WHAT IS TRUE, FALSE, CERTAIN ETC.? EVERYTHING IS
RELATIVE—NO ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
• THERE IS NO ROOM FOR INDIVIDUALITY; WHAT IS THE FAD?
LIBERTY, (CONSUMER CHOICE);
DIVERSITY (LIFE-STYLE CHOICES); AND,
TOLERANCE (SPECTATOR CURIOSITY IN FRONT OF A SMALL TV SCREEN).
 12 FEATURES OF POST-MODERNITY
1. CULTURAL RELATIONS OR THE POLITICS OF CULTURE- (REACTIONARY VS. RADICAL)
2. THE END OF REALITY- (REALITY VS. REPRESENTATION)
3. MULTICULTURAL AND INCOHERENT – (ONE VS. MANY)
4. REJECTION OF METANARRATIVES- (RATIONAL & SOCIAL COHERENCE VS. FRAGMENTATION,
MULTICIPLITY, PLURALITY AND INDETERMINACY)
5. DECONSTRUCTION-I (NTER-TEXTUAL WEAVING, MULTI-DIMENSIONAL; TEXT & THEORIES
ALWAYS SHIFT AND UNSTABLE)
6. SOCIAL IDENTITY IS CONSTRUCTED BY IMAGES - (SHOPPING FOR IMAGE VS. AUTHENTIC
SELF. LIFE IS FASTER AND COMPLEX)

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/postmodernity-features-12-major-features-of-postmodernity-explained/39880
https://www.lausanne.org/content/lop/following-jesus-as-the-truth-postmodernity-and-challenges-of-relativism-lop-62-b
 12 FEATURES OF POST-MODERNITY
7. KNOWLEDGE-POWER RELATIONSHIPS ARE MAJOR ATTRIBUTES- (NO INSTITUTION IS NEUTRAL OR
INDEPENDENT. ALL ARE TIED UP IN THE COMPLEX OF POWER IN THE SOCIETY).
8. “THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR”- (PLURALITY, DIVERSITY, MULTI-ETHNICITY AND FRAGMENTATION. ORIGINAL
IDEA IS “INTERPRETED”)
9. THE TRANSFORMATION OF MARXISM- (NO ONE CLASS, STRUCTURE OR FACTOR CAN EXPLAIN HISTORY OR
BRING ABOUT CHANGE).
10. FAREWELL TO CLASS WAR- (CONSUMER SOCIETY, CAPITAL-INTENSIVE VS. LABOR-INTENSIVE. GAVE RISE TO
NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENTS)
11. GOODBYE TO SYSTEMATIC APPROACH- (CULTURE INFLUENCES INDIVIDUAL CHOICES; PERSONALITY-
GOVERNED BY INDIVIDUAL MOTIVATIONS, NEED-DISPOSITIONS AND NORMS; SOCIAL SYSTEM DEPENDS
ON ROLES, EQUILIBRIUM AND THE PATTERN VARIABLES)
12. SCIENCE IS LITTLE SCIENCE- (SCIENCE DESTROYED ENVIRONMENT, SCIENCE CREATED WEAPONS OF
DESTRUCTION. THEORIES AND DISCOVERIES ARE JUDGED ON PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY RATHER THAN
TRUTH OR PURPOSE.

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/postmodernity-features-12-major-features-of-postmodernity-explained/39880
https://www.lausanne.org/content/lop/following-jesus-as-the-truth-postmodernity-and-challenges-of-relativism-lop-62-b