Postmodernism

Elias Figurations denies structure agency dichotomy The Civilizing Process Changes in everyday behaviors become more self-constrained Sources – books on manners from 13 th to 19 th centuries Occurs through increasing dependency chains

Control and Self-Control Monopoly of force concentrates and becomes more passive Self constraint takes over in social space Because of increasing interdependence and connections among individuals (dependency chains)

Bauman’s sociology Postmodern Sociology Sociology heavily influenced by postmodern ideas, irrational approach Sociology of Postmodernity Sociology of rational and systematic discourse with an effort to develop a model of postmodernity

Bauman’s Comparison Modernism Universality Homogeneity Monotony Clarity Postmodernism Institutional pluralism Variety Contingency Ambivalence

Postmodernism = increasing tolerance, but also increasing ambivalence Fears become privatized Fight off fears through community (socially local)

Politics Modernity Separation of theory from politics Postmodernity Cannot separate theory from politics Declining centrality of the state = power in smaller more diffuse locations

Changes in Politics 1. Tribalism – communities 2. Politics of desire – relevance 3. Politics of fear – reliability/experts 4. Politics of certainty – trust/credibility

Ethics Pluralism of authority  No binding norms  Purposes become part of dialogue Centrality of Choice/Autonomy of Agent  Self determination = self monitoring, self reflection…  Limits on agent are hotly contested (How far does the autonomy go?)

Theory of Postmodernity 1. Postmodern world complex/unpredictable 2. Lacks of central goal-setting organization 3. Agents are partly constrained 4. Habitats appear uncertain/indeterminate 5. Identity is constructed 6. Body is the (only) constant = constraint 7. No explicit life plans – orientation points 8. Accessibility to resources varies – visibility 9. Requires knowledge and information

Classical Theory Social and Intellectual Forces Revolutions – political and industrial Feminism Urbanization Religious Change Enlightenment and Rise of Science Conservative reaction to Enlightenmt

Classical Theory Themes Marx – economic change, rise of capitalism, political/social revolution Durkheim – shared morality, social integration and regulation, growth of science, division of labor Weber – development of capitalism, economic complexity, changes in religion and rationality, authority

Modernism

Postmodernism