Postmodernism Part 1

Charles Jencks-  The Post-Modern Agenda

Fredric Jameson

Key idea here is that of pluralism which allows for a diverse set of views.  It is "a resistance to single explanations, a respect for difference and a celebration of the regional, local, and particular."  Jencks puts a positive spin on postmodernism versus the more negative view of Jameson.  Jameson conclues that there is no original thought in today's world, and that our submission to the whim of mass masses is dulling the honesty and realism of the individual.  Essentially, he believes that part of what made modernism so successful was that it was not accepted by the masses.   Because it was not a part of the mass culture, it was able to be more real and focused more on the individual.  Current culture is marketed to the masses and therefore can no longer contain this sort of realism.