Postmodernist

• Post-modernism 


  technology as a necessity in today’s society

  • communication advances towards greater individual choice
• Post-modernists 


  Baumamn- there are winners and losers in society, it’s inevitable.

  Bjorkuland- technology allows for an ongoing autobiography which can be constantly updated.
• evaluation of post-modernism

  cons -

  • lacks empirical evidence, is theoretical
  • exaggerates the scale of social change

  pros -

  • assess both positives and negatives simultaneously
• Elliot (2001) - against postmodernism

  pessimistic about the fragmented nature of a postmodernist identity because of sites such as facebook
• Hart (2011) - against postmodernism 


  if one is to take a postmodernist approach, events on facebook can be seen as superficial (fake)
• Bjorklund (1998)

  • until recently, individuals have used autobiographies to describe their lives
  • people take a different view of defining the self, in a postmodernist world
• Elliot (2001) - postmodernism

  pessimistic about fragmented nature of identity, only problematic
• Hart (2011) - postmodernism

  there is a tendency of traditional interpretation of the self as superficial (fake)
• Foucault (1977) - postmodernism

  surveillance as the best form of regulation online, reducing crime - if you know you are being watched, you are less likely to commit crimes as you are more likely to get caught
• Postmodernist view of digital forms of communication

  • globalisation has allowed digital communications to increase consumer choice
  • social media has offered individuals a plurality of identities, diverting from traditional forms of identity
  • line between the digital world and real life have become blurred, hyper-reality
• criticisms of postmodern views

  • they fail to recognise inequalities in access to digital technology
  • they fail to provide explanations for a digital divide