StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Modernity and theory - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
There is no simple answer to this question. Modernity is a complex phenomenon. An (attempt to) answer to this question could be: modernity is the social phenomenon during which society, in general, started to exhibit or express relative "rationality", industriousness, and individualism (as opposed to the "irrationality" and dogma of the religious pre-modern eras)…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER91.5% of users find it useful
Modernity and theory
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Modernity and theory"

What is modernity There is no simple answer to this question. Modernity is a complex phenomenon. An (attempt to) answer to this question could be: modernity is the social phenomenon during which society, in general, started to exhibit or express relative "rationality", industriousness, and individualism (as opposed to the "irrationality" and dogma of the religious pre-modern eras). Modernism can also be thought of as the demotion of tradition. Traditional society is characterized by a prevalent dependence on magic, religion, superstition, and an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude.

The modern period can be considered to be roughly the whole of the 20th century up to the present. More specifically, the modern era is generally considered to have begun sometime between 1870 and 1970. Some further limit modernity to the 1910-1960 period, after which the post-modern era is said to have started.Modernity started as a prevailing popular social attitude in Western Europe during about the seventeenth century (which subsequently developed a world-wide influence). Modernity is characterized by changes in the economy-the advent of industrialism and capitalism, with social class as the main form of social division.

Modernity is characterized also by urbanization, or the rapid birth and growth of cities. Modernity also means changes in government-the government is now centralized and, in effect, more powerful (although modernity also means generally more power to the individual).In modernity there is also a rise in general knowledge-society becomes more rational and scientific, and the dependence on religion and superstition is less. According to Peter Berger, among the characteristics of modernity are the disintegration of traditional communities, the broadening of individual freedom and choice, the diversification of beliefs, and the future-oriented or progress-centric attitude of society in general.

These characteristics are in contrast to characteristics of pre-modern times: a close-knit communal structure, very limited choice (in everything from food and clothing to profession, behavior, and faith), and a general non-progressive attitude, particularly in the context of progress and technology. Ferdinand Tonnies described modernization as the combined deterioration of Gemeinschaft (roughly translated to community) and the growing prevalence of Gesellschaft (roughly, society). These are the two types of social groupings that Tonnies describes.

To Tonnies, modernity means the progressive loss of community (or groupings based on attitudes of togetherness) to growing individualism (because of the increase of groupings based mainly on an instrumental goal). An example of Gemeinschaft is a family or a neighborhood. An example of Gesellschaft is a corporation.Division of labor is what Emile Durkheim essentially saw as the definition of modernity. "Mechanical solidarity, based on shared activities and beliefs, gradually gives way to organic solidarity, in which specialization makes people interdependent.

"According to Max Weber, modernity is when traditional thinking (a great dependence on religion and superstition) is replaced by rationality. Weber had a generally pessimistic view of modernity, fearing the dehumanizing effects of rational organization.Karl Marx viewed modernity from a European perspective, describing modernity as the triumph of capitalism over feudalism. Marx had a pessimistic view of capitalist society because of the inevitable conflicts that must arise. He advocated classlessness and equality in society.

Essentially Peter Berger acknowledges the theories of Tonnies, Durkheim, Weber, and Marx, while making his own points, particularly because he has a more recent (and therefore, to some degree, more relevant) perspective from which to base his theories. Berger has particularly astute observations on the present state of organized religion.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Modernity and theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words”, n.d.)
Modernity and theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1515850-modernity-and-theory
(Modernity and Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words)
Modernity and Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1515850-modernity-and-theory.
“Modernity and Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1515850-modernity-and-theory.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Modernity and theory

Types of Postmodernism and Post-Modern Artists

Post-modernism is a theory that has been really popular but is very difficult to define in the milieu of historians, academics and other kinds of intellectuals.... hellip; Postmodernism is referred to as post because it defies and negates the theory that there exists a set of important values and it needs and requires the theory and believes in the theory of a reality that overrides everything whether spiritual and it's in a methodical and systematic way....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Anthony Giddens Theory of Structuration

Moreover, he offers extensive and impressive coverage of theory to self-reflexivity, modernity and politics, placing them all within the illuminating framework of a historical context thus adding a new layer to the world of sociology.... hellip; What are rules, and what are resources, in this terminology (Giddens 1977) It is this question among others that inspired Giddens evolving theory of structuration in the world of Sociology.... It is through this theory that the field of sociology can connect human behavior and it's influence on the rules of daily living, thinking and our view of the outside world....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

What Is the Connection between Fashion and Modernity

Much of the substance I have shared here covers an overabundance of topic that… Since fashion theory is so spread in its beginner state, it is complicated to figure out clear developments and paradigms in the field of fashion, but the foundation I have accumulated here give a coarse Elizabeth says "Fashion" is a term that crackles up many diverse descriptions, the immense preponderance of which is individual and simplifying.... modernity is a word used to explain the situation of being "Modern"....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Modernity and Modern Aesthetics

In simple words, modernity is used to define the various intellectual and cultural movements which took place between the periods 1630 to 1940.... While some schools of thought suggest that modernity was replaced by post-modernity in Modern aesthetics is a study of beauty and taste and is therefore extremely difficult to define....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Industrialization and Modernity in the Structures of Our Lives

modernity as a movement growing out of the industrial revolution is often described as a collection of studies into the social processes that order the world we live in while remaining in a constant state of flux.... If one is speaking with Marshall Berman, modernity is described as “a mode of vital experience—experience of space and time, of the self and others, of life's possibilities and perils—that is shared by men and women all over the world today....
10 Pages (2500 words) Essay

Surrealism and psychoanalysis in modernist poetry

After the 1920s the cultural movement went global, and further affected countries' literature, visual arts, music, language and social theory.... The essay explores surrealism and its connection to psychoanalysis.... Modernist poetry explains poetry written majorly in North America and in Europe, in the period between the year 1890 and the year 1950, in the modernist literature group....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Postmodern in Action

The essay "Postmodern in Action" explains post-modernism as a theory that has been really popular but is very difficult to define in the milieu of historians, academics, and other kinds of intellectuals due to the fact that this term and concept has many meanings.... Postmodernism is referred to as post because it defies and negates the theory that there exists a set of important values and it needs and requires the theory and believes in the theory of a reality that overrides everything whether spiritual and it's in a methodical and systematic way....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Re-Evaluation of the Self as a Principle of Modernist Thought

dorno's work, the Dialectic of Enlightenment specifically identified the Enlightenment as the major force behind modernity and that in his discussion of such a relationship, the emergence of individualism is highlighted.... This theory became his invaluable contribution to modernist thought as it remained, until now, the basis of modern thinking, being a disengaged subjectivity and the contemporary view of nature as a “spiritless” domain.... This essay "Re-Evaluation of the Self as a Principle of Modernist Thought" discusses the reevaluation of self that is important in the discourse of modernity particularly as one of its principles mainly because individuals are participants in the collective values and practices and that they instigate the communal relationships in the society....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us