1 Modern and Postmodern Tie up some general themes and strands from 1 st year sociology How explain major social changes in Western nations, over past 20, 30, or 50 years? e.g. in work – decline in manufacturing in politics – end of State Socialism, rise of NSMs Social class – greater white-collar workforce,
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1 Modern and Postmodern Tie up some general themes and strands from 1 st year sociology How explain major social changes in Western nations, over past.
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Modern and Postmodern
Tie up some general themes and strands from 1st year sociology
How explain major social changes in Western nations, over past 20, 30, or 50 years?
e.g. in work – decline in manufacturing
in politics – end of State Socialism, rise of NSMs
Social class – greater white-collar workforce, ‘underclass’
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Opening Definitions
So: new terms needed – the postmodern?
Debates on Modern/Postmodern strong since late 1980s
Today – discuss ‘the Modern’ – Western societies since 18th/19th C
Tomorrow – ‘the Postmodern’.
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Opening DefinitionsModern and Postmodern –
meanings are highly contentious
Few sociologists agree
1.Modernity & Postmodernity:
Specific Eras, Social patterns
Modernity - industrial age
Postmodernity - post-industrial era
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Opening Defns2. Modernism & Postmodernism -
Cultural aspect: artistic movements, intellectual understandings of modernity
3. Modernist or Postmodernist:
follower of modernism or postmodernism respectively
4. Modernization/Postmodernization
Process of becoming modern or postmodern respectively
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ModernitySome argue ‘modernity’ begins in 15th C
Others highlight 17th and 18th C – ‘Age of Reason’ – go with this.
Rise of modern culture and thoughtA) The EnlightenmentFaith in Progress & ReasonImprove the world - debate, argumentChallenge traditional powers e.g. Church, monarchySecular ; Revolutionary
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Modernity
B) Scientific Advances – apply universally – strongest in ‘natural sciences’
Technology transforms nature for human benefit e.g. steam engines, railways, cars, planes
Social Science plans the same
Knowledge – clarifies how to create better world
e.g. Apply sociology as social policy
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Modernity – 19th – 21st Cs
C) Industrialization
D) Complex Division of Labour
Fordism: assembly lines, tasks repeated endlessly, extra models made ‘just in case’ of extra sale
E) Urbanization: rural areas depopulate
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Modern WorldF) Social Stratification:
quite fixed, tied to production process
Class structure
Gender - women (home/private) & men (work/public) separate spheres
Race – imperialism – divides ethnicities
G) Bipolarity (Marx):
labour v. capital
left v. right
USSR/Comm v. USA/Cap
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Modern World
H) Nation-building:
national identity, via nationalism, education, mass media, etc.
Habermas: modernity about progress, critical rationality.
Can produce a true democratic society (emphasis on A) Beck – ‘Second Modernity’
‘Reflexive Modernization’ – more critical awareness, looser social ties, rapid changes, uncertain future
Giddens – reflexive modernity; like a juggernaut; radical aspect, transform social life
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Sum UpModernity and modernization – long-term processes
Linked to:- power of critical reason, science- industry- modern class structure, nations- bureaucracies- high/low culture split- recent theories of late/second modernity – rapid changes, but still modern societies