Yia Kue (blog 5) Modernity

The difference between modernist theories and post-modernist theories is that modernist theories focused on theories that related to the industrial revolution and how that structures one's life, while post-modernist theories focused on the structures of one's life such as how one's life is structure, who or what influences that structure. Post-modernist theories were mostly about cultural influences in society such as race, gender, and sexuality. Also modernist theories are mostly about knowledge and science. A modernist view of race can be that if your dark colored than you are an African American. Post-modern view acknowledges the differences between having black skin and having a difference in ancestors. For example, the biological identification of a person can be interpreted differently from him or her-self compared to others. Others judge a person's identity depending on their skin color, but to the person, he or she may be mixed with two or more different identities. Modernist theories are like the rules that were meant to be broken. They are the general foundations of how society works, but post-modernist theories take those modernist theories and try to make sense of them within realistic contexts. Modernist theories are broad straight forward in its views of the world while post-modernist theories are more of trying to figure out what the meaning behind an action. A modernist view of sexuality and marriage is that there is only man and woman. Post-modernist theories acknowledge that everything we do is socially constructed. Post-modernist tries to explain that sexuality and marriage is part of cultural beliefs only. They are formed through broad beliefs. For example, a normal couple in society and in the views of religion is that a man and woman are the only "correct" way of coupling or marriage anything other than that is not normal. This is due to the social construction of how people should act and do in a society. It is reinforced in religious beliefs and then becomes a social practice. Today, there are gays, lesbians and transsexuals, etc. These categories are shunned and looked down upon due to the act of going up against the norms. Post-modernist theories works to redefine the modernist theories by tackling every little thoughts and beliefs that are considered the norms of society and gives meaning to actions that are against norms as well. We can see it as post-modernist theorist are asking modernist theorist about what the definition of "real" is and how do we know that it is real when everything we do is interpreted by each individual differently. Each person has their own motivations and beliefs that they act upon whether goes against norms or not. They question the nature of man and how man defines their nature. How does the difference of each actions of man affect society and how society reacts to these actions whether it is through labeling or laws to prohibit these actions. Post-modernist theories break down the thoughts and beliefs of society and look at the knots and bolts of each of the modernist theories to try and drive society to be more realistic with movements.