Postmodern Theory Research Articles

Reconfiguring Gothic-Postmodernism: A Reading of Namina Forna’s (2021) The Gilded Ones

This paper explores Namina Forna’s (2021) debut novel, The Gilded Ones, as manifesting postmodern aspects which allow the text to comment on twenty-first-century life. Forna employs certain parameters of postmodernism that elucidate the postmodern lifestyle. Anchored on the bedrock of postmodernism, this paper dissects the selected text in order to reveal an artistic trajectory that captures the pulse and the tempor contemporaneous with postmodern life. Postmodernism has brought a revolution in the way a text is appreciated since it rejects the limiting boundaries of art and allows plurality of interpretations. Locating Forna’s text, The Gilded Ones within postmodernism theory, this paper employed a library-based close reading to explore the rejuvenation of horrors and fears encapsulated in the twenty first century. It engaged an interpretivist research design that allowed data to be chiselled out of primary text and coded for interpretation. Judgmental sampling was done to arrive at Forna’s The Gilded Ones since the text is replete with postmodernist aspects. The study is instrumental in addressing the fluidity of identity from a numinous paradigm allowing the physical or reality and phantasmagoria to conflate. The paper avers that Forna in her selected text, encapsulates the mechanics and aspects of Gothic-postmodernism which captures succinctly issues contemporaneous with the postmodern society. Gothic aesthetics have been used to dignify and elevate the history of a community. It is hoped that the study makes significant contribution on the dialectics surrounding identity as it voices postmodern fears. The study is instrumental in rooting for the recognition of Africa’s postmodern genre

Preaching to Awaken the Woke

A confrontation is occurring within conservative congregations between conventional evangelical and ‘woke’ mindsets that directly affects the authority of the preacher. Two scenarios are presented from recent preacher experiences from within churches that ostensibly hold a conservative evangelical theological position. The particulars of this new Western cultural phenomenon are outlined using two postmodern philosophers to assist in making sense of these scenarios. Psychodynamic analysis shows that a knee-jerk response to ‘woke’ triggering distorts Christian community at deep levels. A similar cultural shift can be traced from the New Homiletic to the present via homileticians who suggest that preaching must accommodate itself to this culture’s justice claims to avoid confrontation. This results in a significant truncation of the scope of preaching authority. Two alternative strategic responses provide space for authoritative preaching: one revisits the theological template upon which catechesis is offered to new believers, replacing the ‘woke’ view of history with a more biblical eschatology. The other strategic response is to empower the whole congregation with alternative political processes derived from Matthew 18. This provides space for the illuminating work of the Spirit to again use preaching to transform the hearts and minds of believers regardless of their mindsets.

Of Maternal Uncles and Mangalik Brides: Sakuni in the Folk Narrations of The Mahabharata

The timelessness of The Mahabharata lies in its ability to re-invent itself, thereby giving the society a chance to re-negotiate, revise, and revive the discourse. It also gives the so-called ‘villains of the piece’, well established in the ‘rogues’ gallery’, a chance to redeem themselves. One such character is Sakuni, the ‘shrewd’ maternal uncle of the Kauravas, whose negative image in Vyasa’s textual universe is questioned by the folk renditions of the grand epic. The Oriya Mahabharata by Sarala Das views Sakuni not as the master conspirator who brought about the great war, but as a victim who suffered because of the court politics of the Kauravas. The strong popular culture that supports him is also evident in the narratives of the Kalbelias of Rajasthan, and in the folk renderings of the epic in Kerala. This makes us reflect as to why the meta-narrative has vilified Sakuni and treated him with contempt when the folk traditions view him in a more charitable light, or at least give him the benefit of doubt. This paper utilizes narrative research methods to understand the dehumanization of Sakuni in the dominant discourse. It employs the postmodern theories of psychoanalytical criticism and deconstruction in the study of the petite narratives associated with Sakuni to facilitate engagement, plurality, and divergence in the discourse. The paper attempts to read the chronicles of self, society, and social justice in these lesser-known narratives to liberate Sakuni from his filial debt and relocate him into the discursive universe.

Evolution of death and immortality ideas from russian cosmism to synergy

In this paper, death and immortality ideas of Russian cosmists are in syncretic way put together with key ideas in postmodern philosophy. The problem considered in world philosophy on creating co-evolutionary conditions for the emergence of «immortal» man is illustrated by a wide variety of ideas and concepts. This paper contains innovative ideas of the Russian cosmists as the starting point of the research. Special attention is paid to the extraordinary teachings of N. F. Fedorov, who is the founder of Russian Cosmic philosophy. Using the system-diachronic method and technologies of ascending from the abstract to the concrete, the author compares the ideas of Russian cosmism with manifest concepts of modern philosophy (synergetics, phenomenology, transhumanism). The author also gives the most striking facts of discoveries of modern natural science and draws conclusions about ideas of Russian cosmists that have been put forward ahead of their time and retained their relevance and ontological potential until now. The paper presents the prospects for further studying the heritage of Russian cosmism to search for philosophical tools that could, without going beyond the limits of ethical universals, successfully combine the controversial theoretical directions of modern philosophy for the future positive practical development of society.

Идеи постмодернизма как инструмент репрезентации социальной реальности в кинокартинах Л.И. Гайдая

The author initiates research for Leonid Gaidai works ideology concept, challenging the point of view stating that Leonid Gaidai movie films have no ideas at all, presenting "simple comedies". The article is analyzing Leonid Gaidai typical movie film plots and movie making methods correlation to primary ideas of postmodernism philosophy. Based on such examples as "The Diamond Arm", "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style", "Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future", "A Groom from the Other World", "Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures" the author justifies typical film plots and movie making methods relevance to postmodernism ideas of hypertextuality, temptation subjugating human will (loss of subjectivity), constant facing to and power of simulacrum, focus on competing micronarratives. The author uses data of social reality research in USSR at 1930-s and 1950-s to state hypothesis about routes and reasons of Leonid Gaidai representing exactly postmodernism philosophy ideas. The author justifies catharsis effect is the reason for Leonid Gaidai movie films success, the catharsis causing merge of film audience recognition with art representation image and consequent decrease or elimination of anxiety, stress because of conflicts, frustration feeling. The author demonstrates consistent patterns of destructive, pessimistic tendencies of postmodernism situation appearance within social reality utilizing Leonid Gaidai movie films data, philosophy of postmodernism works (Baudrillard, Liotar) and classical philosophy (Aristotle). The author states hypothesis that Leonid Gaidai movie films success with audience right after distribution start and nowadays, when being showed on the most popular Russian TV channels at prime time, justifies postmodernism ideas relevance to soviet and post-soviet, modern social reality.

THE ENVIRONMENT/MEDIA INTERFACE IN DON DELILLO’S WHITE NOISE

The environment is a matter of great concern for environmentalists and governments alike. Climate change, rise in global temperatures, natural disasters etc. have attracted worldwide attention and the COPs being held in different countries every year draw world leaders to a common platform to discuss and thrash out solutions to climate related issues. It is worth examining how recent literature has reacted to the problems associated with the environment. Don DeLillo’s The White Noise published in 1985 is a novel which interweaves environmental issues with the compulsions of the media -driven society we live in with all the happenings in the world reaching us, mediated by the TV and radio channels thus making access to reality or truth a difficult affair. The paper looks at the representation of the environment/media interface in Don DeLillo’s White Noise drawing insights from ecocritical studies and postmodern theories of representation.

THE CHARACTER ALTERATION OF CRUELLA FROM 101 DALMATIANS (1961) INTO CRUELLA MOVIE (2021)

This journal researched Postmodernism from 101 Dalmatian movies and Cruella movies. The researchers are interested in evaluating the differences between 101 Dalmatians, produced in 1961, and Cruella, directed in 2021. The popularity of character transformation and the diverse eras introduced by these two films is the cause why these movies must be studied. The study's goal was to examine Cruella's transformation in both films. The researchers used the descriptive comparative approach to perform the research. The note-taking approach was employed in conjunction with Linda Hutcheon's postmodernism theory. The researchers found that the differences lay in historical representation, including their nature, relationship, and goal in the movies. Keywords: Cruella, Character, Alteration, Historical Representation.

Skepticism as the Rudimentary Nature: A Postmodernist Approach to Muhammad Hafeez Khan’s Novel Adh Ahuray Lok: People with Lost Identities

This study examines the novel Adh Ahuray Lok (People with Lost Identities) by Muhammad Hafeez Khan from the perspective of skeptical nature in postmodernism. A significant amount of postmodernist theory relies on maintaining a skeptical attitude. The projects of philosophical postmodernism and philosophical skepticism appear deeply aligned, as both focus on doubting existing metanarratives and assumptions. They seek to justify the assumptions inherent in our systems of rationality, meaning, and truth. Furthermore, they challenge the modernist notion that objective knowledge is attainable or that we can confidently assert progress. The researcher has selected five diverse postmodernist theorists and incorporated one concept from each theorist to strengthen the argument regarding postmodernism's skeptical nature. The study employs a qualitative content analysis method to analyze the text of the chosen novel. The researcher concludes that postmodernism is rooted in skepticism, as supported by the analysis of the selected text.

Gender, Body and Subjectivity: A Study of Ballroom Gender Culture from the Perspective of Post-Modern Gender Theory

With the in-depth discussion of individual independence and self-consciousness in the post-modern social context, the construction of social identity has increasingly become an important part of individuals seeking their own interests and the legitimacy of existence. The problem of social identity essentially points to social stratification and the flow of social structure, and it is social culture and mass culture that play a key role in it. Corresponding to the mainstream mass culture, the minority culture and subculture accommodate the marginalized groups. Among them, ballroom culture is an important foundation for homosexual and other sexual minorities and vulnerable groups to resist the mainstream cultural discipline. Ballroom provides certain material and spiritual support for the marginalized vulnerable groups in society, which is the cultural space for the survival of sexual minorities. This article attempts to start from the theoretical writings of Foucault, Butler and other scholars in postmodern gender theories, and explore the corresponding issues of gender, body symbols and subject identity involved in ballroom culture.

Critical global citizenship: Foucault as a complexity thinker, social justice and the challenges of higher education in the era of neo-liberal globalization – A conversation with Mark Olssen

This article presents a remarkable conversation on critical global citizenship education (GCE) between Mark Olssen, emeritus professor of political theory and higher education policy in the Department of Politics at the University of Surrey, and Emiliano Bosio, guest-editor of Citizenship Teaching & Learning. In developing the concept for this dialogue, we thought it necessary to frame GCE within a critical perspective that examines the political, economic, ideological and cultural conditions of super-complex societies, particularly in relation to notions of neo-liberal globalization and global justice. Olssen’s copious work has complemented postmodern philosophy by drawing on the work of Nietzsche, Foucault, Deleuze, and it has brought him high regard in Europe, the United Kingdom and worldwide; his insights, perspectives, concerns and outlooks bring to the centre of international educational debates on critical GCE relevant thoughts through which we can better understand the complex roots and history of global citizenship and cosmopolitanism particularly in relation to notions of democracy, equity, ethics and social responsibility.

CONSUMPTIVISM IN THE GENDER ROLE IN NI NYOMAN SANI’S WORKS OF ART

All this time in visual art in Bali a woman has often been placed as an object per se.Actually, in the visual work of women artists in Bali there is found an ideology that worksbehind it. This article reveals and describes the gender ideology that works behind thevisual representation of Ni Nyoman Sani that is why a descriptive qualitative study is usedby using postmodernism theory, visual semiotic theory, gender theory, ideology theory,and psychoanalysis theory to reveal the problem. This article concludes that the genderideology works behind Ni Nyoman Sani’s work, that is, concerning the consumptivism ofthe gender role in its use. It is hoped that this discussion can give us a broader and deeperunderstanding of the gender ideology that works behind Ni Nyoman Sani’s creativeprocess.
 Keywords: consumptivism, gender role, ni nyoman sani.

Technoculture and the Propaganda: A Postmodern Reading of Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake

This paper examines the role of technology in spreading propaganda through a postmodern lens, by studying Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel Oryx and Crake. Drawing from postmodern theory the paper argues that technology has become a powerful tool for propaganda dissemination and manipulation, and that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish between reality and fiction in the media-saturated environment. Through an analysis of the novel’s depiction of a dystopian future society where technology is used to control and manipulate the masses.

Simulacra dalam Novel Hujan Karya Tere Liye (Tinjauan Postmodernisme Jean Baudrillard)

This study aims to reveal the simulacra model in Tere Liye's Rain novel, in terms of Jean Baudrilard's postmodernism. This research is descriptive qualitative in nature. The data in this study are in the form of words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs that contain models of simulacra. The source of data in this study is the novel Hujan by Tere Liye, published in Jakarta by Gramedia Pustaka Utama in 2016. The data in the study were analyzed using Jean Baudrillard's postmodernism theory. The data collection techniques used in this study were reading and note-taking techniques. Data analysis techniques are data reduction, data presentation, conclusion and verification. The results showed that the novel Hujan by Tere Liye found simulacra model. The simulacra model or form in the novel is in the form of pastiche or what is called pure imitation, parody is an allusion to an event, kitsch is identified with cheap art, and camp is a form or aesthetic without content.

The contested status of theory/theorizing and humanism/posthumanism in Olga Petrovskaya's Nursing theory, postmodernism, poststructualism, and Foucault.

The contested status of theory/theorizing and humanism/posthumanism in Olga Petrovskaya's Nursing theory, postmodernism, poststructualism, and Foucault.

Performing Heroic Laziness

This paper theorizes a concept of performance of everyday life at the intersection of performance theory, history and philosophy to posit the everyday as a world-historical stage on which subjects enact forms of historical consciousness. It takes as its empirical ground two historical iterations of a social club known as Thalua Club (Idlers' Club) that took shape in Banaras (Varanasi) – an ancient commercial and Hindu pilgrimage centre and currently the nerve centre of Hindu nationalist politics in India. The idea of a Thalua Club first finds expression in a satirical work from 1928 of the same name, in which the author, Gulab Rai – through the character of 'Devotee of Laziness' (Alasya-bhakt) – affirms the performance of 'uselessness' as a way to resist the 'tumultuous storm of usefulness' that capitalism augured. The club itself, which Rai is believed to have founded in Banaras in his time, was re-established in 1961 by the next generation of Banarasis on the new world-historical stage of postcoloniality and state-sponsored industrial modernization. However, in its second iteration, Thalua Club captures a particular historical anxiety of the Banarasis that stems from the peripheral role that Banaras is accorded in the project of modernization and nation-building as compared to other metropolitan cities. By analysing the two historical iterations, this paper problematizes extant postmodern theories of everyday life that conceive of performance of everyday life as merely individual, arbitrary acts of a subject imbued with agency, thus failing to grasp the specific ways in which it is shaped by history. In contrast, it calls for theorization of performance of everyday life that is not only deeply rooted in empirical history but is also impelled by an objective, world-historical consciousness that transcends its cultural particularity.

The Glaciation Trilogy Directed by Michael Haneke from the Perspective of the Theories of Jean Baudrillard

As one of the most celebrated film auteurs of contemporary European cinemas, Austrian film director Michael Haneke has achieved remarkable success at the Cannes International Film Festival. His films always represent the living status of the individuals in the postmodern capitalist society, showing criticism through the reflection on the media. The theory of the postmodern theorist Jean Baudrillard is highly relevant to the works of Haneke. The key notions of Baudrillard, such as simulacra and hyperreality, describe the media-dominated postmodern social landscape, as well as reveal the tension between the individual and society in the post-industrial and late capitalist periods. This research is a cross-study of film authorship and sociology. It takes Hanekes earlier film works, the glaciation trilogy, which are The Seventh Continent (1989), Bennys Video (1992), and 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994) as examples, and analyzes the narrative, symbolism and audio-visual strategies through the theoretical perspective of Baudrillards theories. On the one hand, this research examines the Baudrillard themes of postmodernism, hyperreality and media alienation in the cases. On the other hand, it evaluates the cinematic style of Hanake and its relevance to a postmodern film ontology. Through the intertextuality between the works of Haneke and Baudrillard, this study is able to reveal the connection between postmodern sociological theories and contemporary auteur cinemas.

Edward W. Soja's Radical Spatial Perspective

Edward W. Soja saw early in his career that “it is now space more than time, geography more than history, that hides consequences from us.” His life-long scholarly project centered around this contention, inspiring his advocacy of a socio-spatial dialectic, his contribution to the so-called “spatial turn,” and his fervent belief that all matters of justice are matters of geography, necessitating the “reassertion of space in critical social theory.” In his decidedly interdisciplinary and agenda-setting work, he became associated with several schools of thought, from Marxism and cultural studies, to postmodernism and critical theory. But his defining feature remained his radical approach to the study of cities and regions vis-à-vis an investigation of Los Angeles informed by the work of Henri Lefebvre. In doing his decades of investigation of urbanization, restructuring, and political struggle writ large, he developed a lexicon that helped identify, problematize, and speak to an array of otherwise aspatial ontological, epistemological, and phenomenological scholarly positions, always placing space at the center. This paper discusses Soja's personal and intellectual advocacy of a radical spatial perspective, arguing that his neat categorization as a “postmodern geographer” is one that is both real and imagined—as limiting as it is liberating.

Contextualizing Hypertext: Its Literary Status

Hypertext refers to the electronic links of texts. In the traditional texts, readers have to follow the linearity, and fixity of the book they are reading. Now computers give them a chance to escape this sort of restriction. 
 Computer is a medium for the creation and the reading of texts. Hypertext or digital text, as we know, takes the form of a series of links. These links are adaptable, flexible, and interactive. They question the unity of the text, and the roles of both the reader and the author. Hence, hypertext requires redefining the concepts of author, reader, text, and structure--concepts of great importance to postmodernists. In addition, hypertext consists of fragments, pastiches, different styles and genres. It ignores boundaries, and addresses the mass.
 In brief, hypertext develops and brings to live many postmodern concepts such as decentering, intertextuality, writerly text and rejection of linearity and fixity of linear narrative. My paper is about hypertext in the light of postmodern theory.

Functioning of Visual Narratives of Russian Propaganda in the Conditions of Armed War Against Ukraine

The purpose of the article is to study the functioning of visual narratives of Russian propaganda in the conditions of Russia’s armed war against Ukraine and consider the phenomenon in the context of postmodern theories. The research methodology is based on the application of the postmodern method of deconstruction, systematically applied to the visual texts of Russian propaganda in order to reveal hidden meanings. The novelty of the research consists in revealing the peculiarities of the functioning of the visual narratives of Russian propaganda, which, in fact, made it possible to simulate the reasons for the large-scale armed invasion of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, as well as to create masking of the real reasons for the war, which are related to the crisis phenomena of power institutions with imperial determinants that are not appropriate for modern times. Among such mechanisms the repetition of the visual narrative in various modifications and contexts was found; hiding a detail or masking it; manipulation of images (mother and homeland, motives of the collapse and resurrection of the empire-Russia-USSR, etc.). One of the non-obvious techniques was the discovery of this type of visual constructions which enter the viewer’s field of vision unnoticed and begin to work automatically at the right moment, disguising themselves as structures of axiomatic knowledge. We called this technique “inversion of automatic writing”. Conclusions. As a result of the research, we come to the conclusion that the effectiveness of Russian propaganda is ensured not so much by the quality of visual information, but by its quantity and intrusiveness, commensurate with the displacement of any other informational “noise”, as well as by the aggressiveness, emotional colour and appeallessness of the presentation. However, technological means are present. Systematic repetition of the same figurative messages in different combinations and contexts allows to bind together ideologically different topics, ranging from political and geopolitical to elementary everyday issues (store windows, American jeans, American dollars, etc.). The article also traces the stages of formation of the “enemy” image by means of propaganda, namely through the use of techniques of dehumanization and desubjectivization of the image of Ukrainians, and further – militarization and glorification of war as the sacred mission of imperial Russia. Examining the phenomenon in the context of postmodern theories testifies to a deep crisis of the power institutions of the Russian Federation, which, in the language of postmodernism, reflects the stage of a simulacrum self-reproduction. The latter makes it possible to make encouraging predictions, since the specified stage is called by postmodern theorists the last in the functioning of the system, which precedes its inevitable disintegration.

Intertextuality as an Inherent Tool for the Composition and Interpretation of Texts: A Theoretical Reappraisal

The aim of the paper is to discuss the operational concepts and theory of intertextuality as a postmodern theory. Postmodern theory is a theory that emerged in the second half of the 1960s. This theory was born as a reaction to modernity and its ideals. By the 1970s, postmodern aesthetics, on which postmodern theory was based, began to be felt in almost every field of art, from architecture to painting, from literature to cinema. Intertextuality seems such a useful term because it foregrounds notions of relationality, interconnectedness, and interdependence in modern cultural life. In the Postmodern epoch, theorists often claim, it is not possible any longer to speak of originality or the uniqueness of the artistic object, be it a painting or novel, since every artistic object is so clearly assembled from bits and pieces of already existent art. An author or poet can use intertextuality deliberately for a variety of reasons. They would probably choose different ways of highlighting intertextuality depending on their intention. They may use references directly or indirectly. They might use a reference to create additional layers of meaning or make a point or place their work within a particular framework. A writer could also use a reference to create humour, highlight an inspiration or even create a reinterpretation of an existing work. The reasons and ways to use intertextuality are so varied that it is worth looking at each example to establish why and how the method was used.