Postmodernism: Myths and Realities Essay -- Postmodernism Philosophy E

Postmodernism: Myths and Realities A number of theorists and scholars have proclaimed that we now live in a postmodern world--a world better explained by theories and concepts different from those of the modern world dating from the Enlightenment and before. The theories and concepts of postmodernism are widely and prominently applied in adult education. So, how do postmodernists characterize postmodernism? What are the critics' critiques? Do proponents and critics agree on anything? Characterizing Postmodernism Discussing postmodernism and continuing education, Leicester (2000) writes that "postmodernism is not a systematic theory or unified movement so much as a loose umbrella term for a perspective" incorporating reactions against "the sovereignty of science, the dominance of 'western traditions' and the assumption of epistemological progress" (p. 73). However, some key features "overlap and criss-cross, appear and disappear in discussions about 'postmodernism' (ibid., p. 74): †¢Plurality of Perspectives. Multiple perspectives, accounts, and theories are respected. Eclectic thinking, drawing on and synthesizing multiple cultural traditions is encouraged. †¢Antiessentialism. A text (be it an individual word, a message, a concept, or any significant structure) has no inherent, essential meaning--no "one thing in common that makes us use the same word and which would give us the essence of the concept" (ibid., p. 74); rather, it is open to multiple interpretations. †¢Antifoundationalism. Truth and knowledge of it are not based on a fixed foundation of objective reality. Instead, truths are located in specific sociocultural contexts, outside of which no vantage point exists. †¢Antiscientism. In particu... ...The Postmodern Perspective on Home Economics History." Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences 92, no. 1 (2000): 81-84. Sokal, A., and Bricmont, J. Fashionable Nonsense: Postmodern Intellectuals' Abuse of Science. New York: Picador USA, 1998. Stufflebeam, D. L. "Conflicts between Standards-Based and Postmodernist Evaluations: Toward Rapprochement." Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education 12, no. 3 (September 1998): 287-296. Thomas, R. M. "A Glossary of Postmodern Educational Terms." 1997. (ED 410 577) Tisdell, E. "Poststructural Feminist Pedagogies: The Possibilities and Limitations of Feminist Emancipatory Adult Learning Theory and Practice." Adult Education Quarterly 48, no. 3 (Spring 1998): 139-156. Usher, R.; Bryant, I.; and Johnston, R. Adult Education and the Postmodern Challenge: Learning beyond the Limits. New York: Routledge, 1997.