What is it about?
The idea of postmodernism -- especially as an epochal moment that represents the impending eclipse of high modernity, and the possibilities of new directions -- has influenced art, architecture, literature and more; and started influencing marketing from the 1980s. This is a pioneering look at the impacts of postmodern tendencies on marketing practices and theories. Companion works of Fuat Firat, Alladi Venkatesh and John Sherry are also very relevant for those interested in this article.
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Why is it important?
This early and pioneering look at postmodernism and marketing has had substantial impacts on the field. A very significant follow-on work is the Journal of Consumer Research article on postmodernism by Firat and Venkatesh. This EJM early article along with follow-on works on postmodernism by Firat and Venkatesh and by Firat and Dholakia, taken together, can be regarded as the major window through which postmodernity and marketing could be understood jointly and dialectically.
Perspectives
Much water has flown in the rivers of modernity, postmodernity, and transmodernity since this was published. Yet, in retrospect, we (the authors and some of our colleagues) keep finding the ideas in this piece still fresh and relevant... and we are now trying to extend these to cognate conceptual fields such as organizations, supply and value chains, work life, and creative endeavors.
Dr Nikhilesh Dholakia
University of Rhode Island
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Marketing in a postmodern world, European Journal of Marketing, January 1995, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/03090569510075334.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Alladi Venkatesh at UCI
Alladi Venkatesh, along with Nikhilesh Dholakia and A. Fuat Firat, continues to work on transmodern and postmodern marketing issues.
Pioneering and Precursor Piece by A. Fuat Firat
Pioneering and Precursor Piece by A. Fuat Firat...In this very insightful early 1990s piece, Fuat lays out most of the key ideas that later developed into many significant later works, some of which were done in collaboration with Alladi Venkatesh and Nikhilesh Dholakia.
Nikhilesh Dholakia on Google Scholar
Comprehensive portal into, and continually updating bibliographic database of, scholarly works by Nikhilesh Dholakia, including significant ensuing pieces inspired by this EJM article.
Baudrillard and postmodernism
The online Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) is one the best places on the Web to find detailed, well-documented, and expertly interpreted information on philosophy-oriented issues, ideas and people. This detailed SEP essay is on Jean Baudrillard, and provides an excellent introduction to Baudrillard’s works on postmodernism.
Po-Mo Page: Martin Irvine, Georgetown
Some significant web resources have emerged over time on postmodernity and postmodernism. Here is one such significant and useful resource.
Po-Mo Page: Ihab Hassan
Some significant web resources have emerged over time on postmodernity and postmodernism. Here is one such significant and useful resource.
Po-Mo Page: Univ of Alabama students
Some significant web resources have emerged over time on postmodernity and postmodernism. Here is one such significant and useful resource.
Po-Mo Page: Purdue University
Significant and often detailed web resources have emerged over time on postmodernity and postmodernism. Here is one such significant and useful resource.
Po-Mo Page: Steve Mizrach
Significant and often detailed web resources have emerged over time on postmodernity and postmodernism. Here is one such significant and useful resource.
Postmodernism: The Authoritative SEP Essay
As with many other philosophical topics, the erudite and reflective Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (SEP) weighs in here with a very nice essay on postmodernism.
Dholakia and Sinha: An early qualitative study of retailing in India... Is this modernization or postmodernity?
It is possible to interpret the behaviors and processes observed in this transitional setting in India from a postmodern frame... Any takers?
Quest for Ideas Beyond Postmodernsim - 1
The questions and issues that postmodernism raised are by no means resolved... but the languages of postmodernism have often lost some potency... and hence the quests for new ideas, concepts, languages continue...
Quest for Ideas Beyond Postmodernsim - 2
The questions and issues that postmodernism raised are by no means resolved... but the languages of postmodernism have often lost some potency... and hence the quests for new ideas, concepts, languages continue...
New thinking on post-postmodern ideas, and marketing - 1 [Celia Lury]
Many of the new, contemporary sources of knowledge on the interactions between cultural forces and marketing are coming from the wider social science fields of sociology, anthropology and from fields within humanities. Some of the works of Celia Lury fall in this category of newer, relevant, groundbreaking knowledge.
New thinking on post-postmodern ideas, and marketing - 2 [Adam Arvidsson]
Many of the new, contemporary sources of knowledge on the interactions between cultural forces and marketing are coming from the wider social science fields of sociology, anthropology and from fields within humanities. Some of the works of Adam Arvidsson fall in this category of newer, relevant, groundbreaking knowledge.
New thinking on post-postmodern ideas, and marketing - 3 [Liz Moor]
Many of the new, contemporary sources of knowledge on the interactions between cultural forces and marketing are coming from the wider social science fields of sociology, anthropology and from fields within humanities. Some of the works of Liz Moor fall in this category of newer, relevant, groundbreaking knowledge. [Here, Arvidsson reviews Moor]
New thinking on post-postmodern ideas, and marketing - 4 [Shalini Shankar]
Many of the new, contemporary sources of knowledge on the interactions between cultural forces and marketing are coming from the wider social science fields of sociology, anthropology and from fields within humanities. Some of the works of Shalini Shankar fall in this category of newer, relevant, groundbreaking knowledge.
New thinking on post-postmodern ideas, and marketing - 5 [Paul Manning]
Many of the new, contemporary sources of knowledge on the interactions between cultural forces and marketing are coming from the wider social science fields of sociology, anthropology and from fields within humanities. Some of the writings of Paul Manning, at their edges and creases, fall in this category of newer, relevant, groundbreaking knowledge.
The Most Modern Postmodern: Dominique Bouchet
A background source of inspiration for A. Fuat Firat, Nikhilesh Dholakia, and Alladi Venkatesh -- and for dozens of researchers working at creative intersections of markets and culture -- is Dominique Bouchet of University of Southern Denmark, Odense. We encourage you to explore his wide research interests.
Metamodernism: A multi-faceted website
Website founded in by Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker, folks who first used "metamodernism".
Hypermodernism: Review of Paul Virilio's work
Article in online journal CTheory.
Liquid Modernity: Review of this by Zygmunt Bauman concept
By philosopher of social science Daniel Little.
PDF page-view copy at Academia.edu
Full text PDF copy available here.
Google Scholar Page: A. Fuat FIRAT
Read more from this author via this link...
FULL TEXT of paper: As of Oct-2015
As of early October 2015, full text of this paper was available at this link at the Merage School of University of California - Irvine.
Postmodernity and Management: David Boje
In the field of management, the concepts of postmodernity have been explored by some. David Boje is one of the most prominent and influential exponents.
Firat, Sherry, Venkatesh companion piece
FULL TEXT available here.
Paradox of postmodernism: PBS
Quote: The paradox of the postmodern position is that, in placing all principles under the scrutiny of its skepticism, it must realize that even its own principles are not beyond questioning. As the philospher Richard Tarnas states, postmodernism "cannot on its own principles ultimately justify itself any more than can the various metaphysical overviews against which the postmodern mind has defined itself."
Death of Postmodernism?
A strongly techno-infused view from 2006, from Alan Kirby... Quote... [rather po-mo in tone, ain't it?] In place of the neurosis of modernism and the narcissism of postmodernism, pseudo-modernism takes the world away, by creating a new weightless nowhere of silent autism. You click, you punch the keys, you are ‘involved’, engulfed, deciding. You are the text, there is no-one else, no ‘author’; there is nowhere else, no other time or place. You are free: you are the text: the text is superseded.
Revival of Postmodernism?
An architecture-focused commentary, c. 2015, from Sam Jacob.
Revival of Postmodernism? [more]
Another architecture-focused commentary, c. 2015, from Anna Winston, editor of Dezeen e-magazine.
The Postmodern Conservative
Appeal to treat postmodernism not as some kind of anti-conservative platform, and to incorporate po-mo ideas in conservative thinking.
Postmodern Recession?
Nobel laureate economist and NYT columnist Paul Krugman interprets the 2007-2009 Great Recession in quasi-postmodern terms.
Sacre Bleu..! Postmodern ERP?
If there is an epitome of high modernity, the complex Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software systems used by mega-organizations are pretty close to this epitome. But wait...!! Now IT consulting firm Gartner Group is touting its report on "postmodern ERP"...!!
Towards Postmodern History
Historian Kate Brown laments the (modernist) tendency of suppressing the voice of the historian in the writing of history. QUOTE: ...[We need to] start a broader conversation among historians about the kind of sources we use, the prose we write in deploying them, and, most importantly, about why, in a profession that purports to tell the truth, most scholars pretend they are not there when, of course, they are. The examination of modernism and modernist discourses has given scholars a great deal more tools so that they do not duplicate the assumptions of the modernizers. We generally, however, have more work to do in in figuring out how to avoid reproducing modernizers’ narrative voice and legitimizing prose.
Postmodernism and Art
Intro to the po-mo trends in Art, from late 19th century. Article written by Sarah Jenkins.
Postmodernism as anti-mind?
An interesting blog... [of course, points to the post-cognitive nature of po-mo] "The point is: the mind can recognize objective truth; it can create order from chaos, and it intentionally structures information to make it sensible. Thus, my conclusion is that postmodernism is, quite literally, anti-mind. It rejects the structures and purpose of the mind."
Hinduism and Postmodernism
This is from a sophisticated and very popular blogger in India, who is essentially a soft-promoter of 'Hindutva' ideas, interpreting Hinduism as pre- vs. postmodern.
Martin Scorsese and Postmodernism
A video-essay interpretation of postmodernism, as evident in the long and influential filmography of Martin Scorsese.
Star Wars as Contemporary Postmodern Myth
"Star Wars" represents the most comprehensive example of contemporary PoMo mythmaking. The release of "The Force Awakens", now that Lucasfilms in part of the Disney empire, is testimony to the durability and expandability of this PoMo Transmedia myth.
First Postmodern Presidency: Bill Clinton
This piece from the 'Atlantic' discusses how/why Bill Clinton presidency was the first postmodern one... many ideas related to this EJM paper can be seen in this piece.
Postmodern Presidency: Bill Clinton.. Newsweek
Another view of Bill Clinton's postmodern presidency, from 'Newsweek'.
Postmodern Politics: The Clinton PoMo Machine?
Closing Quote: "The Clintons have built something new and important, if not necessarily durable or good. They have changed, at least for a time, the way power works in the United States and even in the world. They have built a new kind of institution for a different time. Politicians and power brokers all over the world are paying attention; expect many more efforts to create postmodern political machines in a time when the key institutions of governance and organization are increasingly out of date and out of tune."
Postmodern Politics: The Left has become PoMo itself?
My comment: LibCom seems like a PoMo site itself... in any case, here is the site's somewhat rambling critique of why traditional "Left" has become very PoMo...!!
Postmodernsim: Hal Foster - 1
Art critic Hal Foster has done a great deal of writing and reflection on postmodernism. This 2012 thread from Rollins College discusses Hal Foster's views on postmodernism.
Postmodernsim: Hal Foster - 2
Dana Polan reviews a key book on postmodernism by Hal Foster.
Zwick & Bradshaw: Biopolitical Marketing
Many of the postmodern tendencies are unfolding well into the 21st century – as technologies emerge, collide, and intersect – and as cultural changes continue to layer on. This exciting paper from Detlev Zwick and Alan Bradshaw offers penetrating insights into the ongoing techno-cultural changes.
ImpactStory Page: Nikhilesh Dholakia
Multifaceted view of research outputs and impacts.
Contributors
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