Postmodernism is one of the three theories that offer an explanation to the changes from traditional society to the society we live in today. It has been influential in many areas, including Sociology. They argue that we are now living in an unstable, fragmented, media-saturated global village, where image and reality are indistinguishable. For postmodernists, this new kind of society requires a new kind of theory – modernist theories no longer apply. Many sociologists argue that we are now increasingly affected by globalisation which have been brought about through technological, economic, political and cultural changes.
Postmodernists argue that there are no true foundations to knowledge which is known as ‘anti-foundationalism’. This view has two consequences. Firstly, although the Enlightenment project of achieving progress is true, the absence of scientific knowledge restricts them from guaranteeing their knowledge is correct, therefore they cannot use it to improve society. Sociologists would disagree and argue that knowledge can be used to solve human problems.
The second consequence of their anti-foundationalism view is that postmodernists take a relativist position and reject all-embracing theories such as Marxism, and refers to them as meta-narratives that claim absolute truth. They believe that it is just someone’s version of reality, not the truth. Therefore there is no reason to accept the claims that the theory makes. Postmodernist Baudrillard argues that society is no longer based on the production of material goods, but rather on buying and selling knowledge in the form of image and signs. For example, tabloid newspaper articles about fictitious soap opera characters are ‘signs about signs’ rather than about an underlying reality. He describes this situation as ‘hyper-reality’, where the signs appear more real than reality itself and substitute themselves for reality.
Although postmodernists make some important points about today’s society, Marxists argue that postmodernists are simply wrong to claim that people cannot distinguish between reality and media image. Also, they are criticised about their pessimism about the Enlightenment project – their view that objective knowledge is impossible and that nothing can be done to improve society.
Postmodernists believe that culture and identity in postmodern identity in postmodern society differ fundamentally from modern society. Baudrillard argues that as a result, culture becomes fragmented and unstable, so that there is no longer a coherent or fixed set of values shared by members of society. Identity also becomes destabilized in postmodernity. For example, instead of identity being ascribed by our class, we can construct our own identity in school by achieving good grades and being thought of as a good student. Also, we can change our identity simply by changing our consumption patterns – picking and mixing cultural good and media-produced images to define ourselves. Philo and Miller argue that the claim that we freely construct our identities through consumption overlooks the effect of poverty in restricting such opportunities.
Different perspectives often favour a particular methodology. Postmodernists challenge the entire basis of research methodology in the social sciences. They question the possibility of making definite statements about social reality. They argue that findings in research reports are simply sociologists’ construction of reality rather than a valid description of society. From a postmodernist view, research reports are not objective, they are constructions which are designed to persuade, to give the impression of rational, analytical thinking and to convince the reader that the researcher’s view is ‘the truth’.
In conclusion, while postmodernism has identified some important features of today’ society, it is poorly equipped to explain them. By contrast, recent theories have more satisfactory explanations of the changes society is undergoing. Unlike postmodernism, theories of late modernity argue that the rapid changes we are witnessing are not the dawn of a new, postmodern era. On the contrary, these changes are actually a continuation of modernity itself. According to Giddens, we are now at the stage of late or high modernity. This is because of two key features of modernity; disembedding and reflexivity. The concept of reflexivity suggests that we reflect on our actions and then are free to re-shape our lives accordingly to reduce our exposure to risks. However, not everyone has this option e.g. the poor who are generally exposed to more environmental risks because they are more likely to live in a heavily polluted area, but may be unable to afford to move to a healthier one.
2015 June: ‘Religion is now about consumerism, where spiritual shoppers look into the spiritual marketplace for a product that suits their lifestyle’. To what extent do sociological arguments and evidence support this view?
Hervieu-Léger supports the theme of personal choice and believing without belonging. He agrees that there has been a dramatic decline in institutional regions in Europe, with fewer people attending church in most countries. Her views can be related to the idea of late modernity – the idea that in recent times, some of the trends found in modern society have begun to accelerate. As a result, people have become spiritual shoppers. Religion is now individualized, and we now develop our own ‘do-it’ yourself’ beliefs.
Religion has become a personal spiritual journey in which we choose the elements we want to explore and the groups we want to join. Hervieu-Léger argues that two new religion types are emerging: pilgrims; who follow an individual path in search for self-discovery, and converts; who join religious groups that offer a strong sense of belonging. This re-creates a sense of community e.g. evangelical movements and ethnic minority churches.
Lyon argues that postmodern society has several features that are changing the nature of religion: globalisation, the increased importance of the media and consumerism. As a result, traditional religion is giving way to more religious forms and these demonstrate its continuing strength.
The media now saturate us with images and messages from around the globe, giving us instant access to the ideas and beliefs of previously remote religions. Postmodern society involves the growth of consumerism, and the idea that we now construct our identities through what we consume. As Hervieu-Léger emphasises, this is also true of religion as we are ‘spiritual shoppers’, choosing religious beliefs and practices to meet our individual needs, from the vast range on offer in the religious marketplace.