http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/11/gta5-postmodern-theory-baudrillard.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/06/your-sample-q1a-answers.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2011/05/1a-1b-guides.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/06/dictionary-of-pomo-terms-alterity.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2010/05/you-simply-must-read-this.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/05/q1a-guide.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/04/pomo-by-louderthanwar-blog.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/04/slasher-sitcom-holliston-fearnetcom.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/03/q1b-audience.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2012/03/digitisation-self-published-short-film.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2011/04/postmodernism.html;
http://prodeval.blogspot.com/2010/04/some-prompts-for-q1a.html;
UPDATE 11TH JUNE 2012: single paragraphs on famous postmodern theorists added to the end of this post. Pick one or more + think of how you can apply such ideas to your own work - you don't have to agree; the point you might wish to make can validly be a rejection of the theory (of any theory) ALSO: dictionary of pomo terms added to bottom of post
A PowerPoint on pomo theory: for all your A2 vids, and most of your AS openings, you should be able to apply the concepts of bricolage or pastiche...
http://alleynsmedia.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Postmodern%20Media is useful.
Strinati's (1995) 5 Key Features of Postmodernism
The following notes are based on the relevant chapter in Dan Laughey's Key Themes in Media Theory, a very useful book as regards the exam...The concept of postmodernism denies definition to some extent, but Dominic Strinati outlined 5 key characteristics in 1995 that are often cited:
- Breakdown of the distinction between culture and society
- An emphasis on style over substance
- Breakdown of the distinction between high art and popular culture
- Confusions over time and space
- Decline of metanarratives ['grand theories such as Marxism, Christianity and ... modernism have lost their currency for modern societies']*
Jean Baudrillard and Simulacra
Baudrillard is famed for the notorious argument that the Gulf War did not happen, labelling coverage of it an example of hyperreality, or a simulacra:The Gulf War did not take place, according to Baudrillard, because it was won by the mighty US Air Force before it had begun. The lasting memories of this war for most people were screened images - transmitted via military operations to CNN and other western media - showing how US pilots pinpointed and then bombed Iraqi targets (...) from thousands of miles above land. As such, 'This war is conducted according to the media model: war as a technological relationship ... founded on the abolition of symbolic exchange and the simulation of real communication' (Merrin 2005: 84). This is not a war in the sense of prolonged combat and conflict (the first two world wars, by contrast, really did take place); instead, we experience a virtual war, much like a video game simulates real warfare, and therefore this real-time, media-saturated spectacle is nothing other than what Baudrillard calls a 'non-event'. Subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq amount to 'a rehash of the past, with the same deluge of military forces, bogus information, senseless bombardment, emotive and deceitful language, technological deployment and brainwashing. Like the Gulf War: a non-event, an event that does take place' (Baudrillard 2002: 34). [Laughey, 2007: 151]
A more detailed breakdown (source: http://www.sociology.org.uk/pcpmod.doc) follows:
Www.sociology.org.Uk Pcpmod
The following (as I keep stating, ALWAYS acknowledge your sources) comes from a Uni site. Absolutely superb, just missing some theorist names, and you can extract some from the materials above. http://nmc.loyola.edu/intro/postmod/table.htm#
- after modernism (subsumes, assumes, extends the modern or tendencies already present in modernism, not necessarily in strict chronological succession)
- contra modernism (subverting, resisting, opposing, or countering features of modernism)
- equivalent to "late capitalism" (post-industrial, consumerist, and multi- and trans-national capitalism)
- the historical era following the modern (an historical time-period marker)
- artistic and stylistic ecclecticism (hybridization of forms and genres, mixing styles of different cultures or time periods, de- and re-contextualizing styles in architecture, visual arts, literature)
- "global village" phenomena: globalization of cultures, races, images, capital, products ("information age" redefinition of nation-state identities, which were the foundation of the modern era; dissemination of images and information across national boundaries, a sense of erosion or breakdown of national, linguistic, ethnic, and cultural identities; a sense of a global mixing of cultures on a scale unknown to pre-information era societies)
| The features in the table below are only tendencies, not absolutes. In fact, the tendency to see things in seemingly obvious, binary, contrasting categories is usually associated with modernism. The tendency to dissolve binary categories and expose their arbitrary cultural co-dependency is associated with postmodernism. |
MODERNISM
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TIME LINE
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GENERAL
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COMPUTERS
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CULTURE
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SYMBOLISM
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ARCHITECTURE
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BODY
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POLITICS
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IDENTITY
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ARTS
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FICTION/LITERATURE
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MEDIA
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MUSIC
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KEYWORDS
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| depth | surface |
| optimism | cynicism |
| analog | digital |
| linear | multi-pathed |
| control-design | chance |
| cause-effect | synchronicity |
| logical | spiritual |
| centered | dispersed |
| uniformity | diversity |
| hierarchical | anarchical |
| authoritarian | democratic |
| patriarchy | non-patriarchy; feminism |
| monism | pluralism |
[source for following is no longer online; orig URL: http://private.fuller.edu/~clameter/phd/postmodern.html]
Leading Figures
Jean-Francois Lyotard “The Postmodern would be that which in the modern invokes the unpresentable in presentation itself, that which refuses the consolation of correct forms, refuses the consensus of taste permitting a common experience of nostalgia for the impossible, and inquires into new presentations--not to take pleasure in them, but to better produce the feeling that there is something unpresentable.” Lyotard attacks many of the modern age traditions, such as the "Grand" Narrative or what Lyotard termed the Meta(master) narrative (Lyotard 1984). In contrast to the ethnographies written by anthropologists in the first half of the 20th Century, Lyotard is stating that an all encompasing account of a culture cannot be done.
Jean Baudrillard (19 - ) Baudrillard is a sociologist that began his work researching the, “Marxist critique of capitalism (Sarup 1993: 161). During this phase of his work he argues that, “consumer objects constitute a system of signs that differentiate the population,” (Sarup 1993: 162). To Baudrillard an individual seeks order within a society from objects. After sometime, however, Baudrillard felt that Marxists tenets were not effectively evaluating commodities so he turned to postmodernism. Rosenau labels Baudrillard as a skeptic postmodernist for statements like, “everything has already happened....nothing new can occur, “ or “there is no real world” (Rosenau 1992: 64, 110). Baudrillard breaks down modernity and postmodernity in an effort to explain the world as a set of models. He identifies early modernity as the period between the Renaissance and the Industrial Revolution, modernity as the period at the start of the Industrial Revolution, and postmodernity as the period of mass media (cinema and photography). Baudrillard states that we live in a world of images but only simulations. Baudrillard implies that many people fail to understand this concept that, “we have now moved into an epoch...where truth is entirely a product of consensus values, and where ‘science’ itself is just the name we attach to certain modes of explanation,” (Norris 1990: 169).
Jacques Derrida (1930-) Derrida is identified as a poststructuralist and a skeptical postmodernist. In much of his writing he is concerned with the deconstruction of texts and the relationship of meaning between texts (ECA 1996: 1270). He states, “a text employs its own strategems against it producing a force of dislocation that spreads itself through an entire system.” (Rosenau 1993: 120). Derrida attacks Western philosophy in its understanding of reason. He sees reason as dominated by, “a metaphysics of presence.” Derrida agrees with structuralisms insight, that meaning is not inherent in signs, but he proposes that it is incorrect to infer that anything reasoned can be used as a stable and timeless model (Appignanesi 1995: 77). “He tries to problematize the grounds of reason, truth, and knowledge...he questions the highest point by demanding reasoning for reasoning itself,” (Norris 1990: 199).
Michel Foucault (1926- 1984) Foucault was a French philosopher who attempted to show that basic ideas about how people think of permanent truths of human nature and society change throughout the course of history. While challenging the influences of Marx and Freud, Foucault postulated that everyday practices enabled people to define their identities and systemize knowledge. Foucault’s study of power and its shifting patterns is a fundamental concept of postmodernism. Foucault is considered a postmodern theorist because his work upsets the conventional understanding of history as a chronology of inevitable facts and replaces it with underlayers of suppressed and unconscious knowledge in and throughout history. These underlayers are the codes and assumptions of order, the structures of exclusion that legitimate the epistemes, by which societies achieve identities (Appignanesi 1995: 83, http://www.connect.net/ron).
Nancy Scheper-Hughes (1944-) She is a professor of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley. In her work "Primacy of the Ethical" Scheper-Hughes argues that, "If we cannot begin to think about social institutions and practices in moral or ethical terms, then anthropology strikes me as quite weak and useless." (1995: 410). She feels that ethnographies can be used as tools for critical reflection and human liberation because she feels that "ethics" make culture possible. Since culture is preceded by ethics, therefore ethics cannot be culturally bound as argued by anthropologists in the past. These philosophies are evident in her other works such as, "Death Without Weeping." The crux of her post-modern perspective is that, "Anthropologists, no less than any other professionals, should be held accountable for how we have used and how we have failed to use anthropology as a critical tool at crucial historical moments. It is the act of "witnessing" that lends our word its moral, at times almost theological, character." (1995: 419)
A dictionary of pomo terms
Alterity
- Alterity is a philosophical principle of exchanging one's own perspective for that of the "other".
- A lack of personal identity.
- See Wikipedia, Alterity, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alterity (Jan 2007)
Aporia
- An aporia is a philosophical puzzle, paradox, or impasse often used in conjunction with 'deconstruction'.
- A state of wonder and awe due to contemplating the mysteries of life and the universe.
- See Wikipedia, Aporia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aporia (Jan 2007)
Bricolage
- Bricolage is a processes by which traditional objects or language are given a new, often subversive, meaning and context.
- Art technique where works are constructed from various available materials ("found items" or mass-produced "junk").
- See Wikipedia, Bricolage, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bricolage (Jan 2007)
Catharsis
- A form of emotional cleansing, first described by Aristotle, which occurs simply from the passive act of viewing a tragedy.
- A postmodern analogy is that the media's focus on violence is the method by which society cleanses its collective psyche.
- See Wikipedia, Catharsis, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catharsis (Jan 2007)
Commodification
- Term used in Marxist economics when economic value is assigned to something not traditionally considered a commodity.
- Examples of commodification include: ideas, culture, identity, and even the human body.
- See Wikipedia, Commodification, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodification (Jan 2007)
Constructivism
- Term attributed to Jean Piaget, who described how knowledge is assimilated and internalized during the process of learning.
- Postmods contend that the process of matching internal models to the real world is inherently colored by the bias of the observer.
- See Wikipedia, Constructivism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constructivism (Jan 2007)
Cybernetics
- Cybernetics is a process by which a biological organism enhances its abilities by the integration of technology.
- So called "cyborgs" are a common feature of science fiction (Popular examples include: Robocop and the Borg).
- In postmodernism, much philosophical weight is given to this merging (and interdependence) of man and technology.
- Many consider there to be similar impact due to reliance on everyday items like glasses or hearing aids.
- See Wikipedia, Cyborg, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyborg (Jan 2007)
Cyberpunk
- Cyberpunk is a science fiction genre based in the near-future and often set in post-industrial dystopias.
- The focus of Cyberpunk has been described as "high tech and low life": technology run amok with gritty film noir motifs.
- Its name is a synthesis of Cybernetics and Punk and often features body modification.
- Plots often involve hackers, artificial intelligences, and mega corporations.
- Popular examples include: Snow Crash
and Neuromancer
- See Wikipedia, Cyberpunk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk (Jan 2007)
Cyberspace
- A term coined by William Gibson
in Neuromancer and Burning Chrome to describe an all-encompassing, virtual reality internet.
- "A consensual hallucination experienced daily by billions of legitimate operators, in every nation... A graphic representation of data abstracted from banks of every computer in the human system. Unthinkable complexity. Lines of light ranged in the nonspace of the mind, clusters and constellations of data. Like city lights, receding..."
- A similar term, Metaverse, was used by
Neal Stephenson
- See Wikipedia, Cyberspace, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace (Jan 2007)
Dadaism
- Dadaism was a cultural movement which attempted to reject and destroy the prevailing standards in art through anti-art.
- It was a reaction to the horrors of World War I, which its followers believed was due to the reason and logic of the modernists.
- Dada strove to have no meaning and its works are often described as random or without organization.
- Ironically, Dada became an influential movement in modern art (examples include Duchamp's "readymades" found objects)
- See Wikipedia, Dada, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dada (Jan 2007)
Deconstruction
- Deconstruction is a term coined by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida
- It analyzes the built in bias of language and questions its ability to represent reality.
- Critics see deconstruction as oversimplified and "sloppy" intellectual approach to attacking modernism.
- See Wikipedia, Deconstruction, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deconstruction (Jan 2007)
Dystopia
- Dystopias are societies usually characterized by decay and/or oppressive governments.
- Relevant authors include Kurt Vonnegut
- See Wikipedia, Dystopia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia (Jan 2007)
Flattening of Affect
- Flattening of affect is a scientific term describing a person's detachment and lack of emotional reactivity.
- Used in the postmodern literature to describe technology's dehumanizing impact.
- A key example is the move 2001
, where the main characters lose their humanity whereas the computer HAL gains "his".
- See Wikipedia, Blunted affect, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blunted_affect (Jan 2007)
Hyperreality
- Hyperreality is a symptom of postmodern culture where a person loses their ability to distinguish reality from fantasy.
- The hyperreal world is often thought of as an idealized enhancement of reality, much preferable to the real life equivalent.
- Present day examples could include reality television, pornagraphy, or multi-player online games.
- See Wikipedia, Hyperreality, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality (Jan 2007)
Kitsch
- Kitsch was originally a German term used to categorize art that is considered an inferior copy of an existing style.
- Art (often commercially mass-produced) that is done in bad taste or tries to be overly campy or sentimental.
- From Baudrillard: "one of that great army of 'trashy' objects, made of plaster of Paris or some such imitation material".
- See Wikipedia, Kitsch, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitsch (Jan 2007)
Modernism
- Mordenism is associated with the period of the mid 20th century.
- It is associated with constant change in the pursuit of progress, achievable through rationality and logic.
- In contrast, Postmodernism takes a less optimistic view where constant change becomes the status quo and progress obsolete.
- See Wikipedia, Postmodernism, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism (Jan 2007)
Panopticon
- Panopticon is derived from the Greek opticon (see) and pan (all).
- A type of prison designed to allow the guards to observe all prisoners without their knowledge.
- The goal is to convey a feeling of "invisible omniscience" over the minds of the prisoners.
- The panopticon is a symbol in many dystopian novels, most notably George Orwell's 1984
- See Wikipedia, Panopticon, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon (Jan 2007)
Pastiche
- Pastiche is a tongue-in-cheek imitation or tribute used in literature, art, music, movies, etc.
- Performed with respect to, or in homage to, other works (as opposed to parody which is done in ridicule or sarcasm).
- A popular example is the cartoon The Simpsons, known for its pop culture references and recycled plots.
- See Wikipedia, Pastiche, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastiche (Jan 2007)
Punctuated Equilibrium
- A theory in evolutionary biology by which otherwise slow evolutionary change happens during sporadic periods of great change.
- Postmodernism analogy of technological or cultural change, often used in conjunction with "tipping point" or "singularity".
- See Wikipedia, Punctuated equilibrium, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuated_equilibrium (Jan 2007)
Simulacra
- A simulacra is a copy of a copy, so far removed from its original, that it can stand on its own and even replace the original.
- Term defined by Jean Baudrillard
"It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal.... substituting the signs of the real for the real".
Examples included Disneyland, psychosomatic illness, and the Watergate scandal. - Another example is the cartoon Betty Boop, who has now become an icon for the long forgotten actresses she was based on.
- See Wikipedia, Simulacrum, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacrum (Jan 2007)
Semiotics
- Semiotics is the study of signs, symbols, and how meaning is constructed and understood.
- Linguist Ferdinand de Saussure proposed the deferentiation between the spoken word (signifier) and mental concept (signified).
- See Wikipedia, Semiotics, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics (Jan 2007)
Steampunk
- Steampunk is an off-shoot of cyberpunk set in the steam-powered Victorian era.
- A type of speculative fiction where fictional and real technologies occur at an earlier date.
- See Wikipedia, Steampunk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steampunk (Jan 2007)
Virtual Reality
- Virtual Reality is a simulation technology providing an immersive computer-generated environment.
- The environment may be real (medical applications) or imagined (the Matrix).
- See Wikipedia, Virtual Reality, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_reality (Jan 2007)
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