What can the shift from modernity to post-modernity can be described as?

Answer 1

Beginning in the 1980's many sociologists noted what they saw as a shift, and a broad one in cultural values. This was spoken of as a shift from modernity to post-modernity. To better understand this a definition of terms is required.

Modernity is a forward looking view of the world that centers on reason, scientific rationality, creativity, & progress.

After the second world war, global societies began to change in significant ways. The impact towards change came by the new technologies, especially in communication systems & the role of the mass media.

These changes can certainly be seen as radical ones, and many sociologists believe we have entered a new world view or better said, a new paradigm.

This new world view is called post-modernity. Here are some of its characteristics:

A. An emphasis of openness or transparency;

B. This transparency is seen in a number of perspectives such as social inquiry,

artistic expression, & political empowerment.

C. There are a number of postmodernists sociologists who are at odds the dominant influence of rational thinking, science, progress, and prevalence of economies that are a combination of free enterprise and economic planing. These are radical positions. This segment of thinkers focuses on what is termed "Society of the Spectacle". Within this group of ideas is the concept of that appearance, image and symbolic meanings of things is more important than production and materialism. For them style is more important to society than function.