> rely on a spatio-temporal metaphor. I was trying to explain postmodernism
> to my students this morning--failed miserably, thank you, largely due to
> my own discomfort with the very concept of anything that can be summed up
> as coming somehow "after" or "behind" modernism.
I think that this might be getting at Harvey's perspective -- he sees
postmodernism as the end, or a part of the cycle of modernism (the
Enlightenment Project) rather than an era of its own.
> Partly out of curiosity, partly out of ignorance, what applications of
> "postmodernism" are there outside of aesthetic and cultural critique?
Well, there are historical analyses, issues of scientific theory (and yes,
there are some scientists who are addressing pomo thought -- especially in
terms of how assumptions of an ordered, evolving universe are not
necessarily the Truth of all ways), pedagogical issues, computer science
and artificial intelligence, psychology, economics, political science,
geography, organization & management, technical communication...
I think that perhaps cultural critique is accompanying postmodern stances
-- and affecting other things. But then, once again, I do not perceive
postmodernism as *a* theory, but a historical shift that informs theory.
Part of this shift, for me, is a move away from positivist science as the
only way to knowledge, and an acceptance (albeit a huffy acceptance in
some quarters) of critical theories as contributing to knowledge.
So I think that postmodern theory is affecting theory, practice, social
awareness, art, music...in short, most things in our society.
And I began studying postmodernism as a skeptic. :>
Cindy
_ .........................
___(_) _ __ Cindy Wambeam : Oedipa, to retaliate,:
/ __| | '_ \ New Mexico State University : stopped believing:
| (__| | | | | English department : in them:
\___|_|_| |_|.......==>cwambeam@nmsu.edu<==....:.(The Crying of Lot 49):
(http://scf.nmsu.edu/~cwambeam)