Postmodernity, Personal Freedom, and Social Responsibility

Postmodernity is characterized by a complex interplay of individual freedom and social responsibility within a rapidly changing societal framework. This era, marked by technological advancement and a shift from traditional family structures to more nuclear configurations, presents individuals with greater personal freedoms. However, this freedom is juxtaposed with emerging social responsibilities, particularly concerning the impact of consumption on the environment and community welfare.

In postmodern societies, personal choices such as consumer habits, substance usage, and lifestyle preferences can have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond the individual, affecting families, communities, and the broader environment. The challenge lies in navigating the tension between exercising individual freedoms and acknowledging the obligations one has toward others and society at large. As such, there is an ongoing discourse about finding a balance between these two often conflicting dimensions—freedom and responsibility—especially in a context where ethical decisions are frequently viewed through a relativistic lens that questions absolute truths and moral values.

This intersection of personal liberty and social duty is particularly relevant in discussions about sustainable living and ethical consumption, pushing individuals and communities to reconsider the implications of their choices in a postmodern world. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for fostering a society that values both personal agency and collective welfare.

Published in: 2021

By: Wienclaw, Ruth A.

Subject Terms

Postmodernity, Personal Freedom, and Social Responsibility

Abstract

Postmodern society is shaped by a number of factors including a continuation of the modern trends toward greater geographical and socioeconomic mobility, a shift from extended to nuclear families as the basic building blocks of society, and a resultant shifting of responsibilities that were formerly performed within the parameters of the family to the government. Postmodern society is also marked by a number of characteristics, including relativism and consumption. Arguably, these are the results of the quickly shifting nature of technology in postmodern societies and how these technologies change the lifestyles of individuals and organizations. Postmodern society offers its members great personal freedom. However, this does not obviate the social responsibilities of society's members, particularly as the effects of consumption are seen on the environment. More research is needed to better understand the character of the postmodern relationship between individual freedom and social responsibility, how these two variables interact, and how to determine an appropriate balance between the two in a relativistic society.

Overview

As I write this article, we are in the middle of the financial crisis of 2008. It is difficult to tell at this point where the crisis will lead or how it will be resolved. However, pundits have offered a number of reasons for how and why we got here. One of the factors is the mortgage crisis and eventual proliferation of foreclosures. The local newspaper has increasingly had articles about individuals who have been caught in this trap, and even of entire neighborhoods or communities that are little more than a long line of for-sale signs signifying the turmoil of multiple foreclosures as people who obtained jumbo adjustable rate loans or subprime mortgages to pay for larger homes than they could afford lose both their homes and their investments. I remember in particular one article in the paper about a woman whose home was going into foreclosure because she had obtained a subprime loan with no money down and could no longer afford to pay for it. Her reaction surprised me. Rather than feeling sad or accepting responsibility, she was incensed, as she explained, because America is the land of opportunity and part of the American dream is to own one's own home. The fact that she could not afford to do so did not seem to make an impact on her thinking. She saw her circumstance as being the fault of the mortgage company and the government. Yet, her exercise of personal freedom to buy a house that she could not afford and the subsequent foreclosure not only caused serious financial consequences to herself and her family, but also put a burden on the bank — and eventually its investors — and (along with the actions of others) had a rippling effect that contributed to the current crisis.

This is an example of personal freedom (to buy a house one cannot afford) and social responsibility (in considering the needs of her now homeless family) in the postmodern era.

The Industrial Revolution. Although earlier stages of sociocultural evolution tended to be relatively slow, the industrialization of society following the Industrial Revolution in the latter part of the 18th century and early part of the 19th century brought with it technologies that rapidly changed society. New sources of power to perform tasks, a dependence on mechanization to produce goods and services, and new inventions to facilitate agricultural and industrial production led significant numbers of people to move to the cities where the jobs were, so populations became more centralized into urban centers. Industrialization brought with it factory production, division of labor, and the concentration of industries and populations within certain geographical areas and concomitant urbanization. In addition, with the advent of industrialization, societies increasingly no longer revolve around the family, and many workers leave home in order to work in factories or other centralized places of employment. Villages and other small communities became increasingly less independent and relied on each other for the exchange of goods and services. Further, the family began to lose its unique position as a source of power and authority within society.

However, industrialization is not the zenith of sociocultural evolution. Societies have moved from being industrial in nature to being postindustrial in nature as their economies are no longer dependent on the manufacture of goods (i.e., industrial), but is primarily based upon the processing and control of information and the provision of services. This situation is often referred to as postmodernity, which from a philosophical and sociological perspective, questions or rejects claims of absolute certainty and objective truth. As postmodern societies continue to enter the era of postindustrialization and late capitalism (with its emphasis on the processing and control of information and the provision of services rather than a dependency on the manufacture of goods), an increasing number of urban jobs continue to be created, causing individuals and families to continue to migrate to the cities. The continuing migration to urban areas coupled with the contemporary tendency for married people to move out from their parents' home and start a nuclear family of their own results in increasing residential segregation where one generation is less able to help another generation. Younger people tend to also have more social mobility than did previous generations, a situation that often results in increased social distance between the generations and a concomitant inversion of status between them. With the increased emphasis on the needs of the smaller, nuclear family rather than on the larger extended family, individuals in postmodern societies can become more focused on their own needs rather than those outside their immediate circle. This tendency is compounded by the fact that the increased social mobility of the younger generations in postmodern societies as well as the tendency for nuclear rather than extended families results in a situation where the government increasingly takes over responsibilities (e.g., education, caring for the elderly) that were previously accomplished inside the family structure. This gives postmoderns even more freedom.

Postmodern Society. Many theorists have started talking about society as being postmodern rather than postindustrial. Like postindustrial societies, postmodern societies have a high degree of technological sophistication. From a sociological perspective, members of postmodern societies tend to be preoccupied with consumer goods and media images. As a result, postmodern societies consume both goods and information in great quantities. This is amply illustrated by the different attitudes toward acquiring things in the mid-20th century and the 21st century. For example, it was rare for adolescents in the mid-20th century to have their own phones let alone their own telephone numbers. In the 21st century, however, high school students (and even those much younger) feel deprived if they do not have not only a cell phone, but one with text-messaging capabilities, a built-in camera, and wireless Internet access. Similarly, many teenagers in the 2010s are given their own car when they get their drivers license, a rarity less than 50 years ago. Young people also frequently seek to emulate their television and movie idols, who — for good or ill — are perceived to be role models. However, this type of postmodern attitude is not only confined to adolescents. Adults, too, not only seem to be more focused on acquiring "things," but also on media images. One has only to watch political advertisements on television in an election year to realize how image conscious adults can be. Rather than talking about the issues or truly debating positions, too often campaigns devolve into exercises in slinging proverbial mud on one's opponent while dodging what is slung from the other direction.

Postmodernism is based on the premise that society is not a static thing that can easily be defined. In fact, postmodern theorists often challenge the assumption that society is real. Rather, postmodern theorists treat society as a social construct and look at the words and images (i.e., the discourses) that the members of society use to express themselves and represent their ideas. This means that articulating concepts such as personal freedom and social responsibility becomes difficult because they, too, are social constructs, changeable to meet the needs of the situation. In fact, postmodernism in general is characterized by relativism, or the philosophy that truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the individual or group holding them or may vary according to the circumstance, culture, or other situation.

Ethical Decision Making. There are a number of ways to approach ethical decision making. The two traditional approaches are deontological, which uses rules, principles, and laws to determine right and wrong, and teleological, in which the decision is made in terms of doing the most good in the end result. In this view, the important thing is the process (i.e., sticking to predetermined rules) rather than the end. A third approach is that of situational ethics in which the context determines what the correct decision is. The deontological approach leaves little leeway for personal freedom, and emphasizes the individual's responsibility to apply the rules. The teleological approach is concerned about getting the best result, but not as concerned as how that result is achieved. Situational ethics strikes a middle road that can be considered to be relativistic: doing what is right in the situation.

There are a number of examples of how relativism and situational ethics are applied in postmodern society for determining the best course of action. One of the more obvious examples comes from the abortion debate in which those on one extreme of the argument believe that it is a woman's right to choose whether or not to keep a baby and those on the other extreme of the argument believe that life begins at conception and that abortion is always morally wrong. An individual or group believing that abortion is wrong and that takes a teleological approach might bomb abortion clinics because they believe that the ends justify the means. Those with the same beliefs about abortion but who take a deontological approach would probably not do so, particularly if their rule for abortion stated that killing was wrong. However, there is also a middle ground in which some people believe that "life" starts later than conception, believes that partial birth abortion is wrong but other types of abortion are not, or that abortion in the case of rape, incest, or threats to the health of the mother should be allowed. Such individuals tend to take a more relativistic approach and make their decisions situationally. To extend the example, those taking a relativistic approach can also believe in euthanasia or assisted suicide for situations in which an individual is terminal and in great pain because the early death chosen by that individual not only reduces the length of time in which the person will be in pain, but also will not (by their reasoning) affect others. Those believing that the rule "do not kill" is superordinate, however, would disagree with this position.

Applications

Personal Freedom vs. Social Responsibility. An example of the tension between the postmodern concepts of personal freedom and social responsibility is what many believe is the personal freedom to drink and do drugs. Some people argue that participating in these activities is acceptable because the only one hurt is the person who is participating. However, as alcohol and drug-related highway fatality statistics show, this is not necessarily true. Further, not only can the use of these substances impair the ability of an individual when under the influence, but can also lead to situations of addiction in which the person may no longer be able to care for his or her family or may turn to illegal actions in order to support his or her habit or signal to children that it is acceptable to indulge. In such cases, the personal freedom to do something can lead to negative impact on others.

Research has found that many postmoderns resolve this tension with a two-part strategy. According to a long-term, nationwide study conducted in the United States, the tradeoff between freedom and responsibility is central to the decision making process of young adults contemplating smoking, drinking, or illegal drug use (USA Today, 1998). The study found that unmarried young adults tended to participate more in drinking, smoking marijuana, and using cocaine when they leave home and either go to college or strike out on their own. At this point in their lives, young adults tend to have their first real taste of adult freedom, yet often do not have the same degree of adult responsibilities that they will experience later on. As a result, their exercise of personal freedom often outweighs their sense of social responsibility. Typically, at this point in their lives, not only are young adults without close parental oversight for the first time in their lives, but are also living with peers (e.g., in a college dormitory) that are in the same position and who are encouraging them to participate in such activities. This tends to change when they marry or take on more adult responsibilities (e.g., a first professional job). The findings of the study indicated that once one's responsibilities extended beyond oneself (e.g., through engagement, marriage, or the birth or children), one was more likely to reduce the use of alcohol and illicit drug use. Interestingly, young couples who were living together but neither engaged nor married did not show this tendency. This is not merely a factor of "growing up," however. The study also found that the use of illegal drugs increases after divorce and also decreases again in many cases once the individual remarries. Similarly, pregnant women show an overwhelming tendency to quit or reduce smoking, drinking, and the use of illegal drugs — at least for the duration of the pregnancy.

Consumption. Another one of the characteristics often associated with postmodern society is consumption. As discussed above, the postmodern tendency toward nuclear rather than extended families may bring with it more discretionary income than in previous eras. Further, the rapid rate of advancing technology in general and information technology in particular continually changes the way that people live their lives. In the workplace, for example, this not only means that people need to be able to use or develop new technologies in order to obtain a job that will give them the socioeconomic status that they desire. In many cases, this means that people also need to own the latest technology (e.g., cell phone, Blackberry, Pocket PC) in order to be able to do their jobs well and earn promotions. However, as even newer advances in technology are put on the market, organizations need to update to stay competitive in the global marketplace (thereby becoming consumers themselves) and individuals need to update their technological devices in order to remain competitive as employees at work and reduce their tasks at home. As a result of such factors, there tends to be a great deal of consumption in postmodern societies.

Most postmodern social theorists posit a close relationship between freedom and consumption. However, the postmodern lifestyle increasingly includes a commitment to being "green": a movement that supports protecting the environment through the use of products and processes that do not harm the environment. Haanpää examined the commitment of postmodern consumers to being green (2007). She found that although postmodern society emphasizes the expression of individual freedom particularly through consumption, today's lifestyles are also influenced by socioeconomic factors. In particular, her research found that consumption styles have a definite effect on the commitment to being green. In fact, the more postmodern one's lifestyle, the more likely one was to be committed to being green. Haanpää cautions, however, that although a postmodern lifestyle had a greater influence on the commitment to be green than did socioeconomic variables, it must be remembered that consumption is a combination of many factors including demographic variables, social structures, social norms, and material conditions.

Conclusion

Industrialization brings with it many changes, including greater social mobility and increasing urbanization along with a move toward the nuclear rather than the extended family being the basic building block of society. Not only does this situation result in more freedom for the individuals, but also in many cases with less responsibility as the government took over tasks and responsibilities that were typically performed within the family. However, freedom without responsibility is the operational definition of anarchy and is not sustainable. As societies move into postmodernity, individual and society at large both find that individual freedom must be balanced by social responsibility. The freedom to consume at a great rate (one of the hallmarks of postmodernity), for example, must be balanced by the responsibility to do so responsibly through a commitment to being green. Otherwise, the excesses of modern and postmodern societies will not be sustainable and society may devolve to meet the limited resources in which its excesses resulted. More research is needed to better understand the character of the postmodern relationship between individual freedom and social responsibility, how these two variables interact, and how to determine an appropriate balance between the two in a relativistic society.

Terms & Concepts

Capitalism: An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately owned (i.e., not owned by the government or state) either individually or corporately (i.e., by a group of individuals) and operated for profit. In capitalism, investments, distribution, income, production, and pricing are determined by a free market economy.

Ethics: In philosophy, ethics refers to the study of the content of moral judgments (i.e., the difference between right and wrong) and the nature of these judgments (i.e., whether the judgments are subjective or objective.

Globalization: Globalization is the process of businesses or technologies to spread across the world. This creates an interconnected, global marketplace operating outside constraints of time zone or national boundary. Although globalization means an expanded marketplace, products are typically adapted to fit the specific needs of each locality or culture to which they are marketed.

Green Movement: A movement that supports protecting the environment through the use of products and processes that do not harm the environment.

Industrialization: The use of mechanization to produce the economic goods and services within a society. Historically, industrialization is a society's transition between farm production and manufacturing production. Industrialization is associated with factory production, division of labor, and the concentration of industries and populations within certain geographical areas and concomitant urbanization.

Information Technology: The use of computers, communications networks, and knowledge in the creation, storage, and dispersal of data and information. Information technology comprises a wide range of items and abilities for use in the creation, storage, and distribution of information.

Postindustrial: The nature of a society whose economy is no longer dependent on the manufacture of goods (i.e., industrial), but is primarily based upon the processing and control of information and the provision of services.

Postmodernism: A worldview beginning in the latter half of the 20th century that questions or rejects claims of absolute certainty and objective truth.

Relativism: In ethics, relativism is the philosophy that truth and moral values are not absolute but are relative to the individual or group holding them or may vary according to the circumstance, culture, or other situation.

Social Construct: Any phenomenon that is invented (i.e., constructed) by a culture or society. Social constructs exist because the members of a society behave as if it exists rather than because of the availability of criteria that are necessarily obvious to an objective outside observer. Race and ethnicity are both examples of social constructs. (Also referred to as a social construction.)

Social Responsibility: The philosophy that an individual, corporation, government, or other entity has the obligation to contribute the welfare of the community of which it is a part. Social responsibility includes taking the impact of one's decisions or actions on others, in particular those who are disadvantaged.

Society: A distinct group of people who live within the same territory, share a common culture and way of life, and are relatively independent from people outside the group. Society includes systems of social interactions that govern both culture and social organization.

Sociocultural Evolution: The process by which a society develops through the growth of its stores of cultural information.

Socioeconomic Status (SES): The position of an individual or group on the two vectors of social and economic status and their combination. Factors contributing to socioeconomic status include (but are not limited to) income, type and prestige of occupation, place of residence, and educational attainment.

Technology: The application of scientific methods and knowledge to the attainment of industrial or commercial objectives. Technology includes products, processes, and knowledge.

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Postmodernity, Personal Freedom, and Social Responsibility

On this Page

Subject Terms

Postmodernity, Personal Freedom, and Social Responsibility

Abstract

Overview

Applications

Conclusion

Terms & Concepts

Bibliography

Suggested Reading