1. Do We Live in a Postmodern Society? Part II
What makes this PoMo?
Serious people (Elite culture) made to seem frivolous (Pop culture)
Playful
Taking from other historical periods
Lecture by Dr Christopher Kollmeyer

2. Outline for Lecture Key Question: Do we live in a postmodern society?
If so, it began around late 1960s and early 1970s .
Possible Realms where Postmodernism Manifests
Time, Space, and Social Relations
Arts, Pop Culture, and Aesthetics
Epistemology
Societal Structures
Economy
Politics
Geo-political affairs
First, what is modernity?
Historical period beginning in the 1700s in Western Europe.
Resulted in massive social change
Spread unevenly across the world’s societies.

3. The De-linking of Time and Space
The World Seems Smaller
Time-Space Compression is Uneven
Humans experience geographic distance thru Time
this relationship is not constant
Depends on available technology
Two Main Points:
Geography has become much less of a barrier to the organization of human activities.
Example: Aberdeen to London
Sailing ship (several days)
Airplane (one hour)
Internet (instant!)
2. But this process varies depending on which technologies are available.

4. Social Consequences of the Separation of Time and Space
1. Human activity and culture can be ‘dis-embedded’ from its local context.
2. Humans become inter-connected across much great geographic distances:
3. Declining stability and continuity in one’s social environment.
Ontological Insecurity:
Source: Anthony Giddens The Consequences of Modernity.

5. Cultural Hybridity: Radically Different Ontological Worlds Collide
Fast Food in Traditional Middle Eastern Society
The Burka in London
Pepsi and the Burka
Hip-Hop in the Amazon Juggle

6. PoMo in Fine Arts and Pop Culture: Symbols become De-linked from Reality
Signified
Signifier
Discuss PoMo in the Arts and popular culture
Symbol representing a man
An actual man

7. Modern vs. Postmodern TV Adverts
Postmodern

8. PoMo Music Video: De-linking Lyrics and Images
Coldplay ‘The Hardest Part’

9. Postmodern Epistemology
Modernity: (The Grand Narrative)
Scientific knowledge  human progress  standardization of human life.
Postmodernity (The Death of the Grand Narrative)
Reason and scientific knowledge have limits
Other ways of knowing
Future doesn’t equal progress
Multiplicity of social outcomes, not uniformity

10. Social Change in the Late 20th Century
Technology
Mechanical  Informational
Economy
National & industrial  Global & de-industrial
Service sector now dominates
Politics
Class  culture and identity
Geo-political Affairs
Western Hegemony  Multi-polar world
Rise of non-Western powers