Globalisation, Modernity & Postmodernity

• The nation-state is the focal point of modern society, but globalisation undermines this. Technological, cultural, economic and political changes are creating a ‘global village’. Postmodernists argue that these changes indicate the arrival of a postmodern society, which leaves society as unstable, fragmented and media-saturated. They reject meta-narratives such as Marxism because there is no objective criteria to prove whether a theory is true. However, Giddens believe such changes are the result of a late-modern society, not a postmodern society.
• MODERNITY + GLOBALISATION 


  Characteristics of a modern society: The nation-state, capitalism, mass production, scientific thinking and technology.

  Globalisation (the increasing interconnectedness of societies) is occurring because:

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• MODERNITY + GLOBALISATION 


  • Economic changes - global networks encourage economic activity. The growth in transnational companies drives globalisation forward
  • Technological changes - the internet and air travel collapse time and space barriers
  • Political changes - the fall of communism and the rise in transnational bodies have created opportunities global capitalism
  • Changes in culture and identity - westernised global culture makes it harder for cultures to exist in isolation. Globalisation undermines traditional sources of identity
• POSTMODERNISM - KNOWLEDGE 


  There is no objective criteria to prove whether a theory is true:​

  • Any theories claiming to have the truth about how to create a better society, therefore they reject meta-narratives (e.g. Marxism) that merely reflect someone's version of society
  • We should celebrate a diversity of views rather than seek to impose one version of the truth

   
• POSTMODERNISM - THE ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT 


  • In a post-modern society, the media create a hyper-reality - the media’s signs appear more real than reality itself, leaving us unable to distinguish between reality and image
  • If we cannot grasp reality, we lose the power to improve society -  undermining the enlightenment project
• LATE MODERNITY 


  Some sociologists argue we are now in a period of late modernity, in which key features of modernity have been intensified.
• LATE MODERNITY - GIDDENS 


  Late modernity has two key features that encourage globalisation and rapid change

  • DISEMBEDDING
  • REFLEXIVITY
• LATE MODERNITY - GIDDENS 


  DISEMBEDDING =

  lifting out of social relations from local contexts of interaction. Factors such as credit break down geographical barriers and make interaction more personal.
• LATE MODERNITY - GIDDENS 


  REFLEXIVITY =

  tradition and custom no longer serve as guides to how we should act. We are forced to become reflective (reflect on and modify our actions in light of information about risks) which means that we are continually re-evaluating our ideas. This means culture becomes unstable.