Late-modernity

From Geography

Late modernity is a reaction on 'modernity'. Theorists divided 'modernity' into radical/high modernity and late modernity. 'Radical modernity' refers to the epoch of the classical theorists (Marx, Weber and Durkheim)(modernsocieties.com , 2007). Athony Giddens is one of the founders of late-modernity other theorists labelled him as a post-modernist. Late modernity is a approach which rejects the claims of grand theories or metanarratives. Instead it recognizes that all knowledge is partial, fluid and contingent and emphasizes a sensivity to difference and openness to a range of voices ( Aitiken & Valentine, 2006, p. 341). 'Post-modern theorists argue that ‘modernity’ or the processes that made up such a stage have been surpassed, we live beyond the old ‘meta-narratives’ and the certainties of the past and the grand claims of ‘modernity’. Instead what we have is the ‘decentered subject’ (modernsocieties.com, 2007).

Literature

Aitken, S. & Valentine, G. (2006). Approaches to human geography. SAGE publications Ldt, London.

Seminar Two: Classical modernity & late modernity. (2007). Founded on 19 september 2012, on http://modernsocieties.wordpress.com/2007/10/29/seminar-two-classical-modernity-late-modernity/

Contributors

Published by Lotte den Boogert, 19 september 2012