Abstract

Postmodernity and postmodernism have become leading theoretical issues in the discussion of contemporary culture, and this collection attempts to confront some of the major issues: To what extent does western society's entry into a post-industrial world require us to rethink the characteristic modernist understanding of society and culture? If the self-reflecting, self-quoting culture we experience now is postmodern, is it a culture in which the great modern debates about history and meaning must be radically reworked? Is postmodernism in art complicit with the processes of post-industrial capitalism, or does it subvert them? There are contributions from academics working at the New York School of Social Research and in departments of literary studies, sociology and visual arts at various Australian universities.