ENGLISH TEXT 13/10/2007
- Society and Social Structure
- Social Roles
- Subjectivity/agency
- Discourse
- Knowledge
- Space/Time
- Causality
- Social Change
SOCIETY AND SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Modernism: society tries to find an equilibrium, to follow a linear growth and is made up of workers that must do what is said to them to do in every social rank. Culture is for an elite.
Postmodernism: society can't find an equilibrium because it doesn't exist. The social structure grows not homogeneously, people live their own-made roles and emotiveness connects persons from every social rank and culture. Culture is transmitted by the media to everybody.
SOCIAL ROLES
Modernism: "Me" is more important than "I", persons are implemented in the social structure and must keep their roles to create a one-way organized being.
Postmodernism: "I" is more important than "Me", individual being matters and persons must make their roles to create a multi-way organized being.
SUBJECTIVITY/AGENCY
Modernism: conscious prevails on subconscious and scientists work one by one, to follow a simple linear thinking. What matters is the practical way of conceiving life.
Postmodernism: subconscious is a strong component of human thought and is considered the key-factor in acting. Scientists work together to develop a reticular complex research and emotion and feelings dominate life.
DISCOURSE
Modernism: Linear, simple, efficient discourses prevail. Narrators are omniscient and tell complete discourses.
Postmodernism: Space and Time lapse techniques characterize postmodernist discourses. The omniscient narrator is banned and showing is referred than telling. In addition to these aspects, the truth can't be said, so it doesn't exist at all.
KNOWLEDGE
Modernism: Intellectuals think that one common knowledge exists. It is complete, neutral and stable.
Postmodernism: one common knowledge can't exist, it is relative in function of the audience: individuals have their own point of view
SPACE/TIME
Modernism: space is tridimensional and Euclidean. Natural laws are based on Newton studies. Time is linear, coherent and absolute
Postmodernism: space is multi-dimensional and the Euclidean one is just one of infinite possibilities. Relativity takes place thanks to Einstein studies. Time is no more linear, coherent and absolute: it is a dimension and so it can be muted (space and time present mutations in different gravitational aspects)
CAUSALITY
Modernism: Determinism is the key of the modernist thought so the relation cause-effect is the center of causality
Postmodernism: the relation cause-effect is not more dominant, nothing is sure and can be scientifically descripted. You can't say that chaos reigns, but you can't say that determinism reigns too.
SOCIAL CHANGE
Modernism: C.Darwin and his theory of evolution is the key that provides the answer to every question. Cultural differences are based on different calculable elements and society develops in a linear way.
Postmodernism: Cultural differences are not based on calculable factors at all; Gustaw Jung elaborates Freud's analysis and develops the idea of a "cultural subconscious". It follows that social development can't be linear, but reticular and incalculable.