Some things never made it into the 21st century. Postmodern social theory seems to be one of them. In this article we ask the all important questions: what was it and what happened to it? We argue that postmodernism existed in the plural and in many of its forms as proxy. Postmodernism was always a term of convenience for critics, and paradoxically it is they who elevated a disparate group of thinkers into a coherent intellectual project. That is not to deny the existence of either a postmodern moment or of useful theoretical legacies from this purported project. Irrespective of where the criticisms of postmodernism came from, its shared intention was the defence of perceived challenges to assured knowledge.
Sociology, flagship journal of the British Sociological Association, publishes peer-reviewed articles advancing theoretical understanding and reporting empirical research about the widest range of sociological topics. Sociology encourages submissions using quantitative and qualitative research methods; articles challenging conventional concepts and proposing new approaches; and accounts of methodological innovation and research process. Member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE).
Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 900 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. www.sagepublishing.com
This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.
For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions
Sociology
Request Permissions
