Postmodernism Culture
Postmodernism is a broad and an extensive term which applies to several disciplines. Among many disciplines included in postmodernism, include arts, economics and literature. Others are comprised of architecture, literary criticism and fiction. Postmodernism have also been described largely as a response to scientific or unbiased exertions to clarify reality. In most cases, postmodernism is defined either as an era subsequent to modernism or as a situation whereby conventional ethics are gradually eroded by emerging technological developments and a general trepidation of what is likely to take place in the near future. In reality, postmodernism depends on the point that realism is not reflected in the human perception of it, but instead created as the mind tries to comprehend its own specific reality. Thus, postmodernism is very cynical with regard to descriptions that claim to be effective to all cultures, sets, traditions, and or races. Rather, it emphasizes on the relative facts of each and every individual or within each model, thus taking a relativistic interpretation on reality. Based on postmodern consideration, interpretation is the whole thing. Actually, reality only comes into play through people’s understandings of whatever the world means to each and every individual. Postmodernism depends on tangible knowledge over intellectual value, arguing that the result on an individual’s experience will essentially be imperfect and comparative, instead of being certain or common (Madan 45).
Postmodernism culture is based on postmodernism theories, which assumes that most ostensible realities are merely social constructs and are consequently bound by change. Postmodernism claims that there is no complete fact and that the manner in which individuals view the world are personal and focuses on the roles played by linguistics, power relations, as well as inspirations in the creations of thoughts and principles. Specifically, it criticizes the application of harsh binary categorizations like men against women, conservative against gay, white against blacks, and imperial against colonial. It embraces actualities to be plural and comparative, and is based on who the attracted persons are and the nature of their interests. Therefore, postmodernist concepts regularly reflects on the manners in which societal dynamics, like power and pyramid, influences human understanding of the universe to have significant effects on the manner in which knowledge is created and utilized. In most cases, postmodernist assumptions focus on constructivism, diversity, optimism, relativism and cynicism in its approaches to understanding and conceptions (Charles, Atherton, Kathleen, and Bolland 420)
Postmodernism culture defies the old ethnic values of the present society, especially, the western culture. Currently, life is fundamentally different as compared to sixty or forty years back. The traditional standards of matrimony and family do not exist anymore. Just like their male counterparts, woman in the modern society assume the same roles on places of work. In addition, they also have to wait till they are settled in their lives before thinking about marriage. In the postmodernism culture several couples opt never to have children completely, unlike in the traditional period. Again, religion does not play the significant role as in the past. Actually, most people in the postmodernism period consider religion as very irrelevant. Postmodernism has turned out to be a representation of these changes in the modern society and culture. Postmodernism holds almost all various kinds of arts. One kind of art embraced by postmodernism is fashion. Even though most people do not consider fashion in the traditional period as art, it exemplifies several major features of postmodernism. This fact is demonstrated in the several intercontinental catwalks of experts and modern fashion designers (Eagleton 78).
Another aspect of postmodernism culture is people’s attitude towards books. In reality, people are leaving behind the book reading culture. Instead, they have a preference to conversational communication. They are exhausted by monologue culture. In postmodernism, people prefer talking and listening to each other. While reading scripts, they fancy a new kind of writing whereby writers read one another and replies to the opinions of each other. Instead of the traditional system where writers produced an edited book with varying and unconnected ideas in various chapters, a writer could have a central part of the book where other people can also respond to that section. Postmodernism is manifesting itself everywhere in the modern society. From formal seminars to lecture halls and classrooms, an individual will obviously notice postmodernism culture. However, it is very prevalent all over the internet as compared to the library. It will be exposed where difference in ideas is appreciated and acceptable and it will be realized less in areas where loyalty and authority is obligatory and is being enforced. Additionally, postmodernism can also be seen in common movies such as; the matrix’ and common music like Indigo girls’ song known as ‘close to fine’. Certainly, there is a particular thing about postmodernism that most people try to identify themselves with, even if at unconscious state. Postmodernism also dominates a larger extent of the modern society.
Postmodernism has exerted substantial impacts in the assessment of youth culture. Leisure activities are regarded as very significant aspect for the conception of the identity of youth. Several authors of different literary documents show similar point of view with regard to how postmodernism has influenced the culture of youths. They indicate that there are new ways in which the youth socialize. Clubs cultures, scenes, neo-tribes as well as lifestyles have been identified as the common forms of socializing or the youth during postmodernism times. The concept of youth style, which is not mottled by organizational relations, gender or even ethnicity, is mutual line cutting across their observations. According research, youth alignments are dependent on cultural similarities of tastes and beauty within a basis of personality that dynamically articulates itself through consumption. In this manner, the idea of postmodernist asserts the significance of cultural features, stressing on the person as well as his or her selection ability, over physical forces and class detachments. It is stressed that the current social affairs do not have the same strictness as the structural methods of the past. This demonstrates greater variability, vitality, and dispersal into circumstances of a transitory character (Bertens 109).
In conclusion, postmodernism is a concept that is mostly believed to have been apprehended during the early 20th century. However, gained a substantial acceptance in 1950s and became dominant in the literature and arts by 1960s. As already discussed above, postmodernism has resulted into various influences on various aspects of culture in the society. Some of the disciplines include music, anthropology, sociology, religion, politics, morality and linguistics among others. Postmodernism controls the unconsciousness of most people as well as their different cultural aspects in spite of the conscious questioning, doubts and opposition.
Works Cited
Bertens, Johannes W. International Postmodernism: Theory and Literary Practice. Amsterdam [u.a.: Benjamins, 1997. Print.
Charles, Atherton R., and Kathleen A. Bolland. “Postmodernism A dangerous illusion for social work.” International Social Work 45.4 (n.d.): 421.
Eagleton, Terry. The Illusions of Postmodernism. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers, 1997.
Madan, Sarup. “Lyotard and postmodernism.” An Introductory Guide to Post-Structuralism and Postmodernism. 2nd ed. Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1988. 132.
