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post modernism
Brad M Biglow (bmb@SUNSET.CSE.NAU.EDU)
Sun, 5 Dec 1993 11:29:32 -0700
I find seeker1's comment about "while Western Industrial societies are moving
OUT of industrialization, third world countries (peripheries) are entering
INTO it" as particularly interesting.
I'd like to add:
(1) Isn't the use of hte term "postmodern" a poor-judgement call? Postmodern
seems to imply "past or beyond modern" , which is NOT POSSIBLE, since
everything around us at present is actually 'modern'. "pomo" seems to
infer that we are "past" modernity. The world is a dynamic evolving
system, and the conception of what "is" or "isn't" modern changes with
it. An interesting case in point, is where does one draw the line
between "modern" and "postmodern"?? It's all subject to the observer's
"perception" of that reality and therefore varies from one person to the
next.
(2) To fix the problem inherent in the oxymoronic term "postmodernism", one
must redefine one's relating the term "modern" to the "industrial" phase
of a society. What is "modern" varies from society to society at a given
point in time (the historical sequence), and in a a sense is Ethnocentric
Western European thinking. It's use is implying that "industrialization"
and Democratic practices are "ideals" for each and every society the
world over. This may not be the case. It's continued use eliminates
the "human" aspect of culture through an etic 'imposed value system' of
cultural relevancy. consult the people! ;-)
Sorry for the digression.... Anybody got a better term for "pomo"?
Perhaps besides "modern"?
--
Brad M. Biglow
Department of Anthropology
PO Box 15200
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
bmb@sunset.cse.nau.edu , bmb@ghost.cse.nau.edu
bbiglow@nyx.cs.du.edu , bbiglow@nyx10.cs.du.edu
bmb@nauvax.ucc.nau.edu
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