To identify the main differences between Modernism and Post Modernism, we can take into consideration 8 main dimensions, that are:
society and social structure;
social roles;
subjectivity;
discourse;
knowledge;
space;
causality;
social changes.
Starting from society, Modernism sees life as a perfect continuous line, instead Post-Modernism, has got a fragmented vision of life. As a matter of fact Post-modernists pose fragmentation as a natural condition in human society. In Modernism society imposes a role to each person, so they have got a definite role they cannot change. Post-modern society is governed by causality, and each person has to find a role in it. Moreover as Nietzsche said “God is dead”, society has lost its traditional certainties. The centrality of the individual typical of Modernism, was substituted by the de-centred vision of Post-Modernism. In Modernism, roles tend to be dichotomized good/bad, employer/employee, male/female..., as a consequence, the “me” dominates the “I”. In the Post-modern views pathos, so a suffering condition, substitute the logos.
As for knowledge, Modernism prefers nouns to verbs and adopts a vision in which the axis of symbol and the axis of the imaginary make up meaning, knowledge refers to local sites in Post-Modernism and to globality in Modernism. Modernism has got an elitarian vision thus it repressed the voices of non important people.
Modernism has got a 3D vision of life; Post-Modernism has got a multidimensional view, and the same thing happens with time.
Modernism has got a homogeneous view, Post-Modernism a fractal one.
Modernism has got a proportional view of causality and an evolutionary view of social changes.
Post-Modernism has got a destructive view, in which not important things can determinate unexpected effects. Social change is conceive by Modernism as a linear affair and by Post-Modernism as a non-linear reality