Soc 385
Blog 8
Postmodernism is a broad-spectrum term used to identify a collection of critical practices using broad concepts such as difference, critique, focus on the self, and hyperreality to subvert modern and traditional concepts including certainty, the grand narrative, capitalism, and urbanization. There are many different definitions and viewpoints on what postmodernism, if it even exists and if it warrants scholarly attention. Instead of going into the whole debate of postmodernism, I will simply talk about Anthony Giddens' view on it.
Giddens viewed postmodernism as being continuous with modernity. A modernity 2.0 of sorts. He draws a contrast between traditional and modern thought. In traditional ways of thinking, a person doesn't need to think about their actions since the dominant thought of the times dictate their behavior. For example, a person in traditional times knows that they get their food on their farm, since most if not all of society is living that way, and is accepting of that way of living. For those individuals living in a modern society, they do not pay attention to customs and won't try to measure up to past beliefs. Instead, they are allotted more choices, since the dominant thought is significantly more relaxed than a traditional society would be. For example, that same person in modern times would have a choice to get food from almost anywhere but a farm, such as a supermarket, the internet, or street vendors.
An example of a postmodern way of getting food is a community garden. A community garden is a plot of land cultivated by a group of people. These gardens normally grow flowers or vegetables, depending on the goals of the community. The purpose of the plot can be to benefit the area that houses it by way of low priced or free food. The area can be divided into individual plots for those who would like to grow food for themselves and their household. Community gardens can be found on school grounds, churches, or in any unused space in give neighborhoods. The garden can also be a series of plots dedicated to sell to a market. In Chicago, the NeighborSpace program, a non-profit organization, joins forces with neighborhood groups to buy land, usually empty or abandoned lots. This land usually turns into vegetable gardens, and sometimes they are converted into native plant areas (flowers, shrubs, trees, etc.). After the NeighborSpace program buys the land, residents of the communities can do as they please with the land without the fear of the land being taken over by the landowner and being redeveloped. The community garden concept blends traditional local beliefs on rural agriculture and combines them with modern capitalism and urbanization (middle of a large city) to provide food to a community.
Postmodernism is sometimes considered a blend of concepts of modern thought mixed with concepts of traditional thought. When we look at application of these blended concepts, we can find community gardens. These spaces combine modern views of capitalism and urbanism with the traditional concepts of rural agriculture to create a product that works very well for the individuals it serves.