The Modern World: When Science and Progress Ruled

Think of modernity as the period when humans got really confident about rationality and science. Starting a few hundred years ago in Europe, people believed we could use reason to discover truth and create a better future - this was called the Enlightenment project.

Modern society had some key features you'd recognise from history lessons. Capitalism divided people into clear social classes - Marx's bourgeoisie (business owners) and proletariat (workers). Factories used Fordist principles to mass-produce identical products with low-skilled labour, giving people cheap consumer goods and higher living standards.

Urbanisation saw thousands move to cities for work, whilst a bureaucratic state developed compulsory education, public housing, and the welfare state. People trusted science and technology over religion to explain everything from earthquakes to progress itself.

Key insight: Modernity was all about believing that science, reason, and progress would solve humanity's problems and create a better future for everyone.

From Modern to Global: The Big Shift

The final feature of modernity was individualism - you could choose your own path rather than follow tradition, though structural inequalities like class still mattered. But then everything started changing through globalisation.

Globalisation means we're all connected across borders through trade, culture, and information - we live in one big 'global village'. This shift represents the move from modernity to postmodernity, and it happened through four major changes.

Cultural changes mean isolated cultures barely exist anymore. Western media companies spread their culture globally, whilst companies like Nike sell the same products everywhere. Tourism, migration, and refugees create a globalised culture that weakens traditional class identities - especially as manufacturing moved from the West to developing countries.

Political changes have undermined nation-states' power. Some argue we live in a 'borderless world' where multinational corporations and consumers have more economic power than governments, creating 'disorganised capitalism'.

Key insight: Globalisation hasn't just connected us - it's fundamentally changed how we see ourselves and how power works in society.

Technology and Risk in Our Connected World

Technological changes have created time-space compression - satellite communications, the internet, and global TV networks mean you can cross borders in hours or share information instantly with a click. Brilliant, right? Well, not entirely.

These same technologies bring global-scale risks. Greenhouse gases produced anywhere contribute to climate change that causes flooding in completely different countries. Beck's 'risk society' theory argues that human-made technology now threatens us more than natural disasters do.

Economic changes have created a 'weightless' electronic economy. Much of our economy now involves producing information - music, TV programmes, data processing - distributed through global electronic networks. 'Money never sleeps' with 24-hour financial transactions moving funds instantly worldwide for profit.

Transnational corporations (TNCs) like Coca-Cola operate across borders, organising production globally. They're so powerful they form a separate global capitalist class that influences politics and culture worldwide.

Key insight: Our hyper-connected world brings amazing opportunities but also creates new types of risks that no single country can solve alone.

Welcome to Postmodernity: When Reality Gets Blurred

Postmodernity emerged in the 1970s as theorists argued we'd entered a completely new era. It's described as an unstable, fragmented, media-saturated global village where you can't tell image from reality anymore, and we define ourselves by what we consume.

Postmodernists believe there are no sure foundations to knowledge - you can't prove whether theories are true or false. This 'anti-foundationalism' means two things: the Enlightenment project is dead (we can't improve society through 'true' knowledge), and theories like Marxism are just 'meta-narratives' with no special claim to truth.

Bauman's 'liquid modernity' describes society in constant, unpredictable change where social structures like family, social class, and nation-states are breaking down and flowing like liquid. We now have family diversity - gay marriage, lone parents, dual-income families - rather than one 'normal' family type.

Baudrillard's media theory argues that media doesn't just report reality - it creates 'hyperreality' where TV events seem more real than actual life. Think about how reality shows like Made in Chelsea might feel more 'real' to viewers than their own experiences. Media presents simulacra - representations that replace reality itself.

Key insight: Postmodernists argue we've moved beyond the modern world into something fundamentally different, where traditional certainties no longer exist.

Pick 'n' Mix Identities: You Are What You Buy

In postmodern society, you're not stuck with the identity your social class gives you. Lyotard describes a society characterised by individualism with few social bonds connecting people in a media-saturated culture where people form their own identities.

Bradley's 'pick 'n' mix identities' theory suggests you now choose your identity using culture, fashion, religion - whatever you want. You don't have to follow your class background or stick to one religion. Globalisation gives you these choices.

The key phrase here is 'you are what you buy'. Society becomes like a shopping mall where people buy goods as identity symbols. Your purchases become your identity in a globalised consumer market. People adopt lifestyles built around unlimited choice of leisure activities and consumer goods.

However, critics argue that postmodernism ignores important realities. Social class still matters - surveys show people see it as a strong influence in their lives. Your ability to make choices is still influenced by gender and ethnicity, and not everyone has equal access to this consumer playground.

Key insight: Postmodernity suggests we can choose our identities like items in a shop, but critics question whether this freedom is real for everyone.

Late Modernity: Modernity on Steroids

Not everyone agrees we've entered postmodernity. Late modernity theorists like Giddens argue that today's changes are just modernity intensified - change has gone into overdrive, but we're still in the same basic period. They still believe in the Enlightenment project.

Giddens' reflexivity theory identifies two key features. Disembedding means we no longer need face-to-face contact to interact - think social media and online shopping. This breaks down geographical barriers but makes interaction more impersonal. Tradition becomes less important as a guide for behaviour.

Reflexivity means we constantly monitor, reflect on, and modify our actions based on information about risks and opportunities. Since tradition no longer tells us how to act, we're forced to become reflexive - constantly re-evaluating our ideas and theories. Nothing is fixed or permanent.

Beck's 'risk society' theory argues we face manufactured risks from human activities rather than natural disasters. Think nuclear war, economic instability, global warming. Unlike postmodernists, Beck believes we can use rational planning to reduce risks and create progress.

Key insight: Late modernity theorists argue we're still in the modern period, but it's become more intense, risky, and requires constant reflection on our choices.

Risk, Reflexivity and Politics

Beck emphasises how we've become increasingly individualised and reflexive - we must think for ourselves about consequences since tradition no longer governs our actions. This creates 'reflexive modernisation' where we constantly consider risks attached to different courses of action.

'Risk consciousness' becomes central to culture as we become aware of perceived risks and try to avoid them. Think about debates over GM crops, climate change, nuclear accidents - we're constantly evaluating and trying to minimise risks.

Unlike postmodernists who reject progress, Beck believes in using rationality to overcome risks. We can evaluate risks rationally and take political action to reduce them. He looks to new political movements like environmentalism to challenge dangerous technological development.

Critics argue late modernists exaggerate social change. Cultural distinctions aren't as blurred as claimed - class, gender, and ethnicity still strongly influence cultural tastes. Rustin argues it's capitalism's pursuit of profit, not technology itself, that creates risk. The concept of reflexivity ignores how the poor have less choice - they're generally exposed to more environmental risks.

Key insight: Late modernity theorists maintain optimism about human reason while acknowledging the new risks our advanced society has created.