Postmodernism

• Strinati -

  3 main reasons for postmodernism

  • Emphasis on consumerism
  • New middle class occupations: a focus on taste and lifestyle
  • Disappearance of identities based on class .

  Postmodernism is sceptical of absolute truth. Metanarriatives are open to criticism and doubt.
• Lyotard -

  The search for ‘truth’ is abandoned

  There is diversity of beliefs (promotes relativism)

  There are many competing views of the truth - death of the meta-narrative
• Baudrillard -

  Society has moved away from being shaped by production o consumption (buying/selling of images)

  signs are not symbols of real things. They are ‘simulacra’ which appear more real then reality- Disneyland.

  There is the time of hyper-reality we cannot distinguish.
• Davie -

  Believing Without Belonging

  Religion is not declining - it is taking a more privatised form

  Attendance is now a matter of personal choice

  As a result we now have Believing without Belonging - where people hold religious belief without going to church.
• Harvieur-Leger -

  Spiritual Shopping

  People today now feel they have a choice as consumers of religion

  Become ‘spiritual shoppers’

  Now develop DIY beliefs
• Lyon -

  Jesus In Disneyland

  Religions are dis embedded due to the media

  Moves religion to a different place and time

  Weakening as people are exposed to different versions of truth.
• Stark and Bainbridge -

  Religious Market Theory

  Cycle of religions decline, renewal and revival. so some grow some decline and some attract new members.

  Argue competition between different religions leads to improvements
• Norris and Inglehart -

  Existential Security Theory

  Variation in different religions is because of different degrees of religious choice, yet different degrees of existential security

  Religion needs to meet a need of security where people and so it feel low level of demand for religion

  Demand is great from low income groups.