Hall, Held, Hubert, Thompson (1996)

Modernity: An Introduction to Modern Societies

Three Major Parts

Formations of Modernity

Structures and Processes of Modernity

Modernity and its Futures

Hall, Held, Hubert, Thompson (1996)

Modernity: An Introduction to Modern Societies

Four areas of investigation

Economic

Social

Cultural

Political

Hall, Held, Hubert, Thompson (1996)

Modernity: An Introduction to Modern Societies

European Origins

Begin to emerge around 15th century

Transcontinental travels

Provides explicit formulation for modernism in 18th century

Makes social sciences possible (reorganized in 19th century with Weber, Durkheim, etc.)

18th century capitalism (Adam Smith) more agrarian and about commercial capitalism, not industrialism

Creates new social/sexual divisions of labor

Deep interpenetration of class and gender (BRADLEY 1996)

Shift from religious to secular paradigm

Role of religion in the spirit of capitalism

Growing awareness of the costs of modernity

Early expanses of European maritime enterprises in 15th century

Associated with internationalization of production, consumption, markets, and investments

Belief that everything is destined to be speeded up, dissolved, displaced, transformed, reshaped

Restlessness!

Each era believed that it was the last word in advanced living

The state has grown enormously in both size and influence during the last 40 years, expanding its role in welfare as well as focus of military power.

Globally, state now challenged by emerging trans-national issues

Staate as agent of warfare and provider of welfare

Transformation of production: shift to a more service-oriented economy, and new divisions of labor

Universal spread of electronic media changes experience of space and time, communication between different cultures astonishingly rapid

Yet also a growing sense of how people differ radically and more attached to locality