Postmodernism says that since peoples' opinions change, and since one person's opinion cannot be more right than another, it means nothing to say that (for example) one work of art is better than any other. Postmodernism says that art, music, and literature, for example, can be anything that its maker says that it is. Postmodern art and literature commonly talk about themselves and make fun of themselves. They make fun of 'serious' art and even the idea of art. Postmodernism has influenced many cultural fields, including literary criticism, philosophy, sociology, linguistics, architecture, visual arts, and music.
The term postmodernism was first commonly used in the 1949 to talk about modern architecture. Many people did not like modern architecture because it had too many box-like shapes and people did not think it was pretty. Some of them started the postmodern architecture movement. Postmodern architecture uses surface ornament, historical reference, and less box-like shapes.
Postmodernist ideas can be seen in philosophy, the study of culture and society, literature, architecture, design, as well as in history and law. Postmodernism also led people to think differently about love, marriage, popular culture, and the change in much of the Western world from an industrial to service economy.
The term "postmodernity" usually means the period of time when postmodern ideas became common (the second half of the 20th century). Some experts think that postmodernism is now over, especially in literature.
The term "Postmodernism" is often used to refer to different, sometimes contradictory (they cannot both be right) concepts. Common definitions are:
Because the term postmodernism can be used to talk about so many different things and can mean many different things, some people say that it is only a buzzword that means nothing. Dick Hebdige, in his book ‘Hiding in the Light’, writes:
"When it becomes possible for a people to describe as ‘postmodern’ the décor of a room, the design of a building, the diegesis of a film, the construction of a record, or a ‘scratch’ video, a television commercial, or an arts documentary, or the ‘intertextual’ relations between them, the layout of a page in a fashion magazine or critical journal, an anti-teleological tendency within epistemology, the attack on the ‘metaphysics of presence’, a general attenuation of feeling, the collective chagrin and morbid projections of a post-War generation of baby boomers confronting disillusioned middle-age, the ‘predicament’ of reflexivity, a group of rhetorical tropes, a proliferation of surfaces, a new phase in commodity fetishism, a fascination for images, codes and styles, a process of cultural, political or existential fragmentation and/or crisis, the ‘de-centring’ of the subject, an ‘incredulity towards metanarratives’, the replacement of unitary power axes by a plurality of power/discourse formations, the ‘implosion of meaning’, the collapse of cultural hierarchies, the dread engendered by the threat of nuclear self-destruction, the decline of the university, the functioning and effects of the new miniaturised technologies, broad societal and economic shifts into a ‘media’, ‘consumer’ or ‘multinational’ phase, a sense (depending on who you read) of ‘placelessness’ or the abandonment of placelessness (‘critical regionalism’) or (even) a generalised substitution of spatial for temporal coordinates - when it becomes possible to describe all these things as ‘Postmodern’ (or more simply using a current abbreviation as ‘post’ or ‘very post’) then it’s clear we are in the presence of a buzzword".
British historian Perry Anderson says that postmodernism is an important concept and is important for the study of contemporary (current) culture.
Eraser
An eraser is a tool made from rubber that is used to get rid of marks made from a pencil, or some types of pen. Another kind of eraser is made of felt and is used to remove chalk marks from a blackboard. Some may also be automatically be attached to a pencil, or could be bought to be shoved on a top of a pencil. You can use the eraser by rubbing the mistake and it will slowly clear away. All erasers will produce some dust called debris after rubbing and it will usually be black as it cleared away the pencil marks. Some erasers produce a lot of dust while some produce dust that all stick together. There are some good-quality erasers which are very soft and can erase easily, while some are very hard, and a lot of rubbing is needed. The classic pink eraser is made for smaller, lighter errors, whereas a thick, white eraser is made for bigger and/or darker marks.
Sercquiais
Sercquiais, also known as Sarkese or Sark-French (Lé Sèrtchais), is a language which is spoken on the island of Sark. It is a Norman language. Only 4 people can speak it, and a few more can understand it. It is a lot like Jerriais, a language spoken on an island called Jersey.
Jèrriais
Jèrriais is a language that is spoken in Jersey. Some people call it Jersey French. Just over 2000 people speak it. It is a Norman language. 3% of the people in Jersey speak it, and around 15% can understand it.
In the 19th century, almost everyone in Jersey could speak Jèrriais. Then, people stopped learning it, and it nearly became extinct. These days, lots of people are trying to get more people to speak the language. Now, signposts and road signs on Jersey are written in Jèrriais and English.
Auregnais
Auregnais, Aoeur'gnaeux or Aurignais was the Norman dialect of the Channel Island of Alderney. It became extinct in the mid 20th century. People think it became extinct because people did not bother to speak it or learn it. Only about 20 people still speak it.
Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay (Welsh: Bae Colwyn) is a town, community and seaside resort on the north coast of Wales, in the Conwy County Borough.
The 2011 UK census revealed the community had a population of 34,284.
The town is dominated by the tourist trade, because of its famous beaches. Colwyn Bay is a Fairtrade Town as certified by the Fairtrade Foundation as part of the Fairtrade Towns scheme.
The town had a famous pier which was extremely popular with tourists and visitors. However, Victoria Pier was closed to the public in 2009 after a dispute between Conwy County Borough Council and the pier's owner led to him being declared bankrupt. In January 2017, the lower end of the pier partially collapsed into the sea and Conwy Council announced plans to dismantle and store the pier, with a view of restoring it in the future. The pier was demolished in May 2018.
Maple syrup urine disease
Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a genetic medical disorder. It causes a problem with how the human body deals with amino acids. It is also called branched chain ketoaciduria. Maple syrup urine disease affects about 1 in 185,000 infants worldwide.
The most noticeable symptom of the disorder is an infant with sweet-smelling urine. Infants with this disease seem healthy at birth. If the disease is not treated, the person will suffer severe brain damage and eventually die. MSUD is much more common in children of Amish and Mennonite descent.
From a very early age, the condition can be recognised by poor feeding, vomiting, lack of energy, seizures, and mental health issues. The urine of infants with this disease has a very sweet odor, much like burned caramel or maple syrup. This is what gives the condition its name.
Anglesey
Anglesey () is an island and county in Wales. There is a town there called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. It is the longest place name in the United Kingdom. The island has a population of 68,900 people. Its largest town is Holyhead.
Around 7 out of 10 people on Anglesey speak Welsh, which is quite high. There are many small villages on the island. Anglesey is the home of Actress Naomi Watts, and founder of the English rock band Motörhead, Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister.