Postmodern Theory Research Articles

SOLVING THE UKRAINIAN DEMOGRAPHIC DISASTER: A POSTMODERN PERSPECTIVE

This paper explores the demographic crisis in Ukraine through the innovative lens of postmodern theory. Departing from traditional approaches, the authors argue that solving the country's pressing issues of low birth rates and high mortality, especially among the elderly, requires a comprehensive, interdisciplinary strategy grounded in postmodern principles. The analysis first situates Ukraine's demographic woes within the broader global context of climate change, socioeconomic inequality, mass migration, and technological disruption - factors that heighten the complexity of the challenge. It then delves into the specific demographic data, examining not only the statistical trends, but also the sociocultural shifts impacting family formation and reproductive behaviors. Drawing on postmodern concepts of complexity, diversity, anti-universalism, and emphasis on inclusion, the paper proposes a multi-faceted set of solutions. These range from promoting individual expression and creativity, to developing targeted policies supporting young families, revamping migration frameworks, combating discrimination, and even exploring the potential of reproductive technologies. Importantly, the authors frame these interventions within the context of a new national idea centered on preserving and strengthening Ukrainian identity. Ultimately, this study represents a bold, unconventional approach to the demographic crisis, challenging conventional demographic theories and offering a fresh, contextual perspective rooted in postmodern thought. Its findings hold significant implications for policymakers, academics, and civil society stakeholders seeking innovative pathways to address Ukraine's pressing demographic challenges.

Femininity vs Masculinity: Re-Defining (Gender) Roles in Alobwed’ Epie’s The Lady with a Beard

Gender bias has remained a pervasive problem worldwide, till this era. In line with the recent “UNDP Gender Inequality Index” which ranks Cameroon 141st among a total of 162 classified world countries, Cameroon is determined a heavily patriarchal society. Developing gender as a social construction rather than a biological attribute is a powerful achievement that determines roles being awarded accordingly and not based on genetic traits. The foregoing declarations put this paper in perspective. Gender can grow beyond any limit if it is not tied down to sex. Therefore, gender should be redefined as a process of activity and not a static label. However, this paper aims to show that in spite of the position which Cameroon occupies, Cameroonian writers like Alobwed’ Epie in his novel, The Lady with a Beard, redefines male and female stereotypes and roles. With a remarkable representation of his heroine in an evolving Cameroon, Emade surges her femininity through freedom of choice. The qualitative research method has been employed through document analysis, and in re-defining both gender roles, this study has adopted the Postmodern theory to debunk perspectives of a grand narrative, universality and stability in the novel to enhance gender configurations. In all, this paper confirms a radically budding change in stereotypical notions of gender, especially the female, in the Cameroonian and Bakossi setting.

Particules Flottantes : Mutable Identity and Postmodern "Schizophrenia" in the Works of Michel Houellebecq

Abstract: Michel Houellebecq's representations of selfhood, both in his theoretical works and literary oeuvre, depict the self as unstable, decentered or fluid, evoking postmodern theory about the dissociative nature of the self. In his essay "Approaches to Distress" (1997), he posits the notion of the "mutable self," and, for the unmoored protagonists of his novels, self-identity becomes increasingly fractured and fluid as they are engulfed by what the author terms "the market society." Herein, the individual is enjoined to adapt and change (in consonance with market forces, consumer tastes, social trends) while fixed values and identities are swept away by the mutability of capitalism. In his representations of selfhood, Houellebecq evokes the theories of Baudrillard and Jameson concerning postmodern schizophrenia, the latter eschewing clinical definitions of the term to offer a diagnosis of the subject's fractured psychical apparatus and loss of subjectivity in postmodernity.

The Study of The Dissemination of Chinese Language in Africa—The Case of Cameroon

The dissemination of Chinese language in contemporary Africa is inextricably linked to economic, social and academic factors. Taking Cameroon as an example, this paper uses behaviorism and postmodernism theories to analyze the collected data, and discusses the factors and important roles of Chinese language and Chinese language studies from a different perspective from many international critics. This paper examines the analysis and discussion of the reasons for the international spread of Chinese by scholars and critics in other countries; then through open and closed questionnaires, analyzes the learner‘s motivation and related research. The author puts forward suggestions for Chinese teaching in Africa. Through data analysis, it is found that the main factors that drive Cameroonians to learn Chinese and study China are: the prospect of getting a Chinese translation job, the desire to get a scholarship to study in China, and the various factors that the Chinese market has to satisfy one’s purchasing power with various goods. Through the research, it can be concluded that China’s prosperous economy as a whole constitutes an external stimulus for Chinese language dissemination and Chinese research in Cameroon; at the same time, there are obstacles in Chinese language dissemination, and countermeasures need to be taken: adjusting and changing the teaching methods of Chinese teachers, In order to avoid negative impact on learners’ interest in learning; take measures to change Cameroonians’ preconceptions about Chinese, Chinese characters and the whole Chinese society; at the same time, add practical courses and provide rich learning resources.

Truth and Values: A Postmodern Study of Michael Joyce’s Digital Story Twelve Blue

Digital stories are an emerging phenomenon to present the realities and the values of life. Truth seems abandoned when a normal life is spent and it could lead tothe destruction of values. The present study is conducted to understand the elements of truth and values in the digital story of Michael Joyce’s Twelve Blue (1996). The study is qualitative and is conducted based on the textual analysis of the story. Postmodernism theory by Lyotard (1979) is adopted under which the digital story is analyzed. The findings of the study show that the life of a female is presented beyond the truth in the stories where the truths and the values are not presented. Humans are presented as free from all forces and powers, and then they have to come under the unseen powers and forces. Knowledge and cultural values can be challenged under Postmodernism and the truth comes to know when a person is exercising terror and is unable to rewind the real truths of life.

Postmodern Representations and Reflections in Hong Kong Urban Cinema: A Study on the Works of Heiward Mak Hei-Yan

In the new millennium, a discontinuity of postmodern elements began to surface in Hong Kong commercial films. However, young director Heiward Mak Hei-yan integrated postmodern elements into her works, which are primarily urban films, inheriting and developing the postmodern tradition of Hong Kong cinema. She does this primarily by shaping marginal urban landscapes and crowds, capturing the less noticed aspects of Hong Kong city, and demonstrating the anti-grand narrative characteristic of postmodernism. By establishing a postmodern perspective on love, she breaks and "rebels" against traditional romance films, not just merely glorifying the myth of love, but emphasizing the questioning of the eternal view of modern love. Simultaneously, she illustrates the dilemmas of postmodern alienation to portray the contemporary postmodern mentality and cultural symptoms of Hong Kong people in this unique geographical location. Her urban films reflect her positive thinking about urban romance, life, and mental state in a postmodern context, providing the possibility of parallelism between commerciality and postmodernism, and offering insights for the development of Hong Kong cinema.

Product Packaging and Sales, in Competition with Consumers’ Psychology of Choice

The appearance of consumer products creates a particular impression that compels a consumer to make his choice of a product leading to sales. Product design is an opportunity for differential advantage in the market place. From secondary sources, information were collected and analysed on the roles that product appearance plays on the mind of consumers before choice is made. A number of companies successfully focus on product design appearance as a competitive tool, and several studies indicate the influence of good product design packaging on commercial success. This, the ceramist in product development must queue into for the patronage of his wares by the consumer as a direction for advancement. Consumer preferences and consumer buying behaviour are the major issues that should be taken into account when designing new wares apart from just self-expression. The study found out that in spite of new technologies and materials, consumer's choices and desires constitute the most important elements that drive the marketing process. Therefore, the ceramic designer must put the customer in the fore front not himself when it comes to product appearance. The designer must also look into brand personality, the five (5) bran personality dimensions, deliberate feedback etc. as added issues to the six roles of product packaging to compel the psychology of consumers’’ choice and sales. Thus, the postmodernist philosophy of self-projection in our productive endeavours at the expense of consumer choice must be discouraged at this stage of development of ceramic if wares will compel their commercial values and retain customers’ loyalty beyond the five life cycle of a product. Keywords: Appearance, choice, comparative advantage, consumer, product.

KEBAYA DAN BUDAYA POPULER: PEMBENTUKAN IDENTITAS IDEOLOGIS PEREMPUAN MODIS OLEH KAPITALIS

Balinese Kebaya is a custom clothing used by women when there is a Yadnya ceremony and even used simultaneously by the community on Thursday and Tilem Purnama. Mode Kebaya very quickly changes; almost every week, a new mode appears. Balinese women do not realize that Kebaya in fact the form of adoption of an external culture that blends in the consequences of the past trade. Balinese women do not realize that there is capitalist ideology in the movement of fashion Kebaya in Bali. This research is important to do to reveal the psychology of women in use kebaya Bali and reveal fashion ideology kebaya towards Balinese women. This research is examined using postmodern theory with an ideology approach that is described descriptively and qualitatively. The results show that the following mode, kebaya, is a representation of social class among Balinese women. Balinese women tend to be prestige wearing monotone kebaya. If there is a large special ceremony like Odalan (usually implemented once a year), then Balinese women, especially in Padambulia, feel obliged to have a new kebaya by following the fashion that was trending at that time. The capitalists succeeded in building a fashionable ideology on women with a very rapid change of fashion in order to control the market.

BUDDHIST MOTIVES IN THE CREATIVITY OF TSYRENDORZHO BALZHANOV (PROBLEMS OF DIRECTING AND TRAINING ACTORS IN THE BURYAT THEATRE IN THE 1990s and 2000s)

The article examines the creativity of the Buryat director Tsyrendorzho Balzhanov, formed in connection with theatrical phenomena and events that determined the future of the Buryat drama theater at the turn of cultural epochs. Having chosen the Buddhist theme as the main motive of his work, Tsyrendorzho Balzhanov faced a number of issues that raised the problem of staging solutions and the problem of training an actor while creating Buddhist images and characters, as well as the possibility of achieving a special state of «satori» in terms of theatrical action. The lack of experience in the religious productions in the Buryat drama theater, the theatrical and directorial legacy that remained from the theater of the Soviet years did not allow the Buryat director to consolidate the state of «satori», which he managed to achieve in the play «Damdin Lama». Based on this experience, which is more intuitive in nature, Tsyrendorzho Balzhanov de-voted the main part of his creative career to the search for directorial ap-proaches and tools, the development of acting training. The result of the search for the solutions that the Buryat director faced after the play «Damdin Lama» in 1990 was his scientific research «The Mys-tery of Tsam as a Buddhist philosophical text and ritual action» and the crea-tion of the acting training based on the methods of Oriental theater and Bud-dhist religious practices. The author concludes that the modern theater, which has experience of performative theater and postmodern philosophy, has the potential to create such productions, however, only in the director’s interpretation, without partic-ipation of the «actor-personality», who, according to Tsyrendorzho Balzhanov, remains the center of the director’s idea in the play imbued with the Buddhist motifs.

Философия эпохи модерна и постмодернизм

In the history of philosophical thought the past twentieth century was marked by a great turning point caused by the collapse of the previous intellectual, cultural, and attitudinal paradigm characteristic of the classical modern era. Acting as the destroyer of this paradigm, postmodernism prioritized the “effectiveness of language”, freeing it from morality and truth, and reducing it to the transmission of information regardless of the degree of honesty or dishonesty of the position taken by the interested party. It is in the philosophy of postmodernism that language in its functional and especially in its axiological relation has undergone a violent degradation. Unlike postmodernism, the philosophy of the modern era has never ceased to live the history and heritage of world philosophical thought, the importance of which in the history of cultures and civilizations has always been recognized as the beginning of all subsequent intellectual and technical achievements of mankind. The key place in the article is occupied by the analysis of Heidegger’s fundamental ontology, which creates a “theology without God” and rejects divine reality, without the realization of which the only possibility remains despairing pessimism. In postmodernism, language ceases to be an instrument of cognition of reality, remaining an instrument of the strategy of persuasion. Thus, philosophy should not abandon its own purpose in the search for teleological meaning in the evaluation and interpretation of human being in the world. The new conceptualization of the existence of the world and man was formalized in the philosophy of existentialism and postmodern. These approaches to the interpretation of man, his language, thinking, consciousness and faith inherent in the philosophy of J.-P. Sartre, N.A. Berdyaev, K. Jaspers, M. Heidegger, J. Derrida, M. Foucault and R. Rorty form the subject of this article. The author shows that it is the philosophy of classical modernity, based on Christian doctrine with its orientation to the life of the future century, is an alternative to postmodernism.

Pascal’s Wager and Its Postmodern Counterpart

Pascal’s Wager is probably the most analysed apologetic argument in the history of apologetics. What has often been the case, however, is that this piece of Pascal’s Pensées has often been misinterpreted and taken out of the Pascal’s total apologetic work. For that reason, the Wager has been misappropriated and has undergone a battery of misplaced criticism. Taken in its proper context, the Wager is a beautiful vindication of the Christian faith, cleverly constructed to make the sceptic re-think his position and contemplate the importance of the Christian faith. Much confusion exists about the placement of this particular Pensées, and where it is situated in his overall apology (Pensées 418) lends itself to the challenge of what has become “the Many Gods Objection.” For that reason, I would suggest that Pascal’s Wager belongs at the very beginning of his Pensées, where the rest of the Pensées are an explanation for the reason Christianity is the most attractive belief. Postmodern philosophers have re-appropriated the Wager and made it fit their own philosophical and theological presuppositions playing in the hands of the “Many-Gods-Objection.” This paper describes the beauty of Pascal’s Wager in its proper context and expresses the erroneous postmodern appropriation of the Wager.

The Development of Postmodern Identity in the Characterisation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

This paper shows that postmodern identity is closely related to the image of cyborg in science fiction. Analyzing the environment and characters in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, written by Philip K.Dick, offers a deep understanding of characteristics of postmodern identity, which is unstable, fragmented and changeable. The bleak urban landscape where only few people live presents a post war and high tech world that shares features of postmodernism. Besides, the character John Isidore, who is a special, and many escaped androids are all considered as others that should be excluded from the normal society. Hence the dilemma of postmodern identity can be uncovered. To be specific, the android character Rachael Rosen illustrates the fragmentation and reconstruction of postmodern female identity because she is a humanoid robot designed as a woman. Also the combination between a cyborg and a woman gives an insight into the similarities between its identity and her identity. Based on the cyborg theory by Donna Haraway, the criticism by Anne Balsamo in Reading Cyborgs Writing Feminism and the postmodern identity theory by Elena Abrudan, the extent to which Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? explored the identity can be disclosed.

The Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Nature in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun

The paper aims to assess Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, Klara and the Sun, by examining the interplay between artificial intelligence and nature. The objective is to delve into how Ishiguro portrays the convergence of these seemingly disparate elements and the resulting implications for our understanding of ‘natural’ versus ‘artificial’. Klara, the protagonist, is an artificial friend powered by sunlight, making the narrative inherently centred on artificial intelligence. The Sun assumes a divine role, symbolizing inner strength derived from trust in something greater and highlighting society’s detachment from nature. Klara’s reliance on solar energy emphasizes the nurturing aspect of the Sun, affecting her vitality. Despite originating from an industrialized civilization, Klara exhibits a deeper appreciation for nature than many in her community. The novel blurs the lines between human and artificial intelligence, prompting a reconsideration of conventional notions about what is ‘natural’ or ‘artificial’.This exploration prompts a re-evaluation of our relationship with technology and the natural environment within the framework of postmodernism theory.

Scrutinising the Moon: Randa Jarrar’s “The Lunatic’s Eclipse” Under a Postmodern Lens

This paper aims to investigate the short story “The Lunatic’s Eclipse” by the Arab-American Randa Jarrar and explain the postmodern techniques represented through the different functions of the moon. The study is qualitative research that employs postmodern strategies of magic realism, metafiction, carnivalesque, and intertextuality as the study's methodology. Through these strategies, the story blurs the boundaries between reality, magic, and fiction and unites them in one entity to highlight themes of freedom, happiness, and self-reliance. Therefore, the study relies on postmodern theorists' ideas and theories on these strategies, including Jean-Francois Lyotard, Linda Hutcheon, Franz Koh, Mikhail Bakhtin, Gerard Genette, and William Gass. The moon is also employed as a structure for the story and a theme that unites all the parts of the story together. The characters are also given names that mean different phases of the moon in Arabic. Jarrar uses the moon to resist stereotyping Arab women as weak and submissive.

From Production to Viewing: The Presentation of Female Subjectivity in Siren: Survive the Island

As cultural products, female variety shows have the potential to challenge gender norms and promote gender equality. This study adopts feminist theory, social gender theory, especially the relevant content of postmodern feminist theory and audience usage and satisfaction theories. It closely reads the text of the Korean variety show Siren: Survive the Island. Considering the rise of streaming media and the promotion effect of the feminist movement on the production of such programs, this study focuses on the two levels of program creation and audience reception. It discusses how programs give women the right to speak in creation and how to break away from the male-centered discourse system. In the description of the identity of the contestants, the program selects powerful women who are difficult to become absolute protagonists in the past as narrative subjects so that women can jump out of the traditional societys expectations of their identity. On the bodys performance, the show presents the contestants body from an equal and objective perspective, conveying a positive body concept. At the same time, the show largely meets the needs of modern audiences and inspires audiences consensus on female subjectivity and gender equality. This study aims to combine theory and practice, provide strategies for subsequent works, promote producers and audiences cognition of female subjectivity, call for a more open and inclusive environment, and promote further thinking and development on gender issues in the real society.

Mocking the Canon: Irony, Subversion, and Play in Iconoclastic Portraiture

This qualitative research paper examines how iconoclastic artists use techniques of irony, subversion, and play to undermine the conventions of traditional portraiture. Canonical portraiture aims to convey status and power through dignified representation. Iconoclastic portraiture rebels against this pretense through incongruous, caricatured, and role-reversed depictions designed to mock canonical norms. The paper analyzes selected artworks by Marcel Duchamp, Cindy Sherman, Yue Minjun, and others that exemplify iconoclastic approaches. Visual analysis reveals how incongruity introduces discordant elements to undercut meaning, caricature exaggerates features comically, and role reversal portrays subjects in undignified ways that contravene tradition. The paper interprets these techniques through the lens of postmodern theories of parody, carnivalesque inversion, and deconstruction. Findings demonstrate that by ironically mocking canonical conventions, iconoclastic portraiture destabilizes traditional hierarchies and reimagines portraiture as a critical, subversive art form. The research advances understanding of how iconoclastic artists deploy irony and play to contest establishment orthodoxies. This study elucidates iconoclastic portraiture’s aims and significances as a challenge to the canon’s pretensions and demonstrates humor and subversion as profound artistic strategies.

Hyper reality, Discursive Power and Resistance in Don Delillo's White Noise

The exertion of power is interwoven with the concept of the loss of the real in Don DeLillo’s White Noise (1985). The present study aims to survey the relations between power and loss of the real in this novel based on Jean Baudrillard's postmodern theories of hyperreality and simulation, and Michel Foucault's theories of power discourses and resistance. As a qualitative, research-based study, this article highlights discourses of power like media, advertising, supermarkets and medical technology to show how reality is concealed and hyperreality takes its place in the novel. According to Foucault, discourses generate power. It is discussed that discourses of power dominate people and they successfully pretend to be the only source of validation. It shall be indicated that the Gladneys are influenced by such exertions of power. However, Jack Gladney resists the power and tries to make other characters aware of the manipulative power of media, advertisements and medical technology which produces a fake drug called Dylar. Besides, Murray resists the persuasive power of advertising of supermarkets by not buying the advertised brands and products which distorts the reality behind consumerism of postmodernism. Therefore, the findings of the study show that there are significant relations between the exertion of power and the loss of the real in White Noise (1985).

Educational Leadership at Chinese Universities: Exploring New Perspectives from Postmodernism and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Global economic integration and the ongoing advancement of information technology have brought about rapid and profound transformations in Chinese society. The growing population of postmodernist university students in China is one of the most important factors advancing societal progress. The thesis of the current study is that educators at Chinese universities should exercise transformational and participative leadership to assist their students in succeeding in life. The contribution of the current study lies in not only introducing both the theories of postmodernism and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to the realm of higher education management in China but also adding to higher education’s theories of social psychology and offering a practical approach to leadership for higher education in China.

Philosophy and Aesthetics of Postmodernism in V. Erofeev's poem "Moscow-Petushki"

Philosophy and Aesthetics of Postmodernism in V. Erofeev's poem "Moscow-Petushki"

How to Write about the Holocaust: The Postmodern Theory of History in Praxis

How to Write about the Holocaust: The Postmodern Theory of History in Praxis