Globalisation, Culture and Lifestyle Seminar Four: Postmodernism and Culture

Key Lessons from the Lecture  Postmodernism is incredibly difficult to define but links to social processes and cultural forms  Incredulity to meta-narratives and the collapse of certainty and boundaries  Identity is much more fluid and less stable  All style and no substance?  With so much choice do we actually crave stability?

Nostalgia and Kitsch  Nostalgia refers to a longing for the past. It is usually sentimental and relates to what was seen to be a happier/simpler time  We see nostalgic references in many areas of postmodern society  Remember when….  noE

Nostalgia and Kitsch  We can see examples of nostalgia in many areas of postmodern life  Can you identify examples of this within the events and entertainment industries  Why do you think we are so attracted to cultural references from the past?

Nostalgia and Kitsch  Kitsch can be defined as art, objects, or design considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way  Seen to be in poor taste but attractive nonetheless  Postmodern irony?

Seminar Tasks  Critically discuss the contention that postmodernism is all style and no substance.  Critically discuss the extent to which the fluidity and instability of postmodernism actually leads us to crave stability in our everyday lives.