Postmaterialism and Late 20th Century Europe - Essay Example

Postmaterialism and Late 20th Century Europe The period of 1945-2009, that is the time which has elapsed since the end of the Second World War, stood as a time of unprecedented peace and stability for the peoples of the Western World. In fact, if the trend continues, this time period could very well overtake in length and breadth the historically analogous period of peace and relative economic stability which occurred in the century between the end of the Napoleonic Wars and the outbreak of the First World War. The former period, however, occurred after the evolution and development of post-modern society and thought. The broader transition to postmodern social tendencies is essential to understanding the tangential appearance of ‘postmaterialism’ in 20th century European society, this latter manifestation being but an historical permutation of the former. As such, the appearance of postmaterialism in Europe as a social phenomenon ought to be viewed as a stage of overall postmodern society and the increasing importance and emphasis placed on the individual, albeit with some restrictions. Over a century ago it was Durkheim (2007, p. 141), in his work on the social division of labour in industrial (organic) societies, who stated It is, in effect, quite remarkable that the only collective sentiments which have become more intense [in organic society] are those which have as their objective, not a social, but an individual one. For things to be as such, it is necessary for individual personality to become an element of much more importance to the life of society. And in order to acquire this importance, it is insufficient for the personal conscience of each member to merely have increased in absolute value. It must have superseded the importance of communal conscience. For Durkheim this phenomenon stood as a visceral part of industrial society. Though the beliefs and mentality associated with industrial society are collectively distributed, their specific characteristics are, contrarily, predicated upon the super-importance of the individual and his/her individual needs and desires. This yields a sort of universal individualism, the raison d’être of modern man. Given the contributions of postmodern thought, this should come as little surprise. The concept of postmodernity postulated by scholars like Francois Lyotard, claimed that ‘postmodernity configures a new social order that contributes to a progressive transformation of ways of acting and thinking and that postmodern culture favours a critique of the great narratives of modernity, the assumed authority of science, and traditional reasoning and values’ (Aguila 2008, p.276). To be clear, postmodernism stood not as a break with modernist thought and tendencies but rather as a growth out and from it in line with the trend foreseen by Durkheim with respect to the individual. A central part of postmodernism was its assertion that ‘grand narratives’ were losing their validity as authoritative social discourses. As such, individuals, increasingly alienated and/or distanced from collective, society-wide tautologies, sought new meaning in their immediate social surroundings. The development of postmaterial values in place of material ones to some extent mirrored the transition from modern thought to postmodern thought, though in different terms. The traditional monolithic system of thought inherent to modernity, with its national histories and scientific assuredness, gave way to the uncertain nebulousness and moral relativism of postmodernity, all as a part of the increasing ‘individualization’ of social life. Modernity, if anything, sought to bring order to man’s existence as scientific inquiry and rationalism were seen as being capable of solving traditional human social and economic problems like hunger, poverty, and safety. With respect to the concept of postmaterialism then, modernity was largely ‘material,’ in that it sought to resolve these traditional worries. The transition from materialism to postmaterialism marked a change ‘from giving top priority to physical sustenance and safety toward heavier emphasis on belonging, self-expression, and the quality of life’ (Knight 2007, p. 1049). For Ronald Inglehart, the man who originated the idea of postmaterialism, it was essentially a question of quality over quantity (Puro 1977, p. 1264). Within the context of late twentieth century Europe, the rise of the welfare state must be seen as central to any conceivable emergence of postmaterialist tendencies on the part of Europeans. The rapid economic development and the expansion of the welfare state in advanced western societies that followed World War II has led to a fundamental shift in people’s value priorities, most notably among the younger generations born into this social and cultural configuration. More specifically, the values of western societies have been changing from an emphasis on material welfare and physical security (i.e. materialist values) toward a greater emphasis on self-expression (i.e. postmaterialist values). (Aguila 2008, p. 276) The implication then is that the social development of the modern State as an institution has, for better or worse, alleviated many peoples’ ‘material’ worries. The extended period of time absent of war coupled with the parallel establishment of social protections, all within the context of the long-term emergence of an individual free from collective narratives, all together form the genesis of postmaterial society and existence. Things like ‘esteem, self-realization and quality of life’ have superseded prior, more traditional concerns (Uhlaner 2007, p. 164). To iterate, the materialist/postmaterialist and the modern/postmodern transitions were not clean sequential breaks. In reality the metaphor employed should be one of sediment. One built upon the other, the new adjoined the old. This largely explains the existence of postmaterialist tendencies in a politically insecure and economically stagnant Europe. Logically, this would seem contradictory. If Europe is stagnating politically and economically, an assertion for which an argument could be made, it would surely not be de-emphasizing traditional ‘material’ worries like food and physical well-being for the sake of individual pleasures. And yet because there are materialist realities which still exist(ed) in Europe, they must be understood. The fact is that because it has been so long since Europeans experienced real penury and want, their ‘materialist’ tendencies, though overlapping with postmaterialist ones, have simply been given a new application. A sort of emotional and social transference has occurred whereby the concept of ‘security’(national, personal, or other) has replaced things like want of food or shelter. Though this phenomenon varies from person to person, the central fact holds true: ‘materialis[t] tendencies (which have continued to exist for all) are strongly motivated by the need or desire for Security, [more so with] those that have experienced the denial of basic survival needs’ (Wilson 2005, p. 221). So instead of worrying about food or shelter, today many Europeans think about ‘security’; same tendency, new outlet. The fact that the State is the provider of this ‘security’ fits well into our claim: the rise of the welfare state, along with the peace of recent decades, has been central to the appearance of postmaterial society. Postmaterialism then should not be viewed as negating man’s traditional love and respect for authority (Achterberg 2006, p. 78). The weakening of universal narratives, a part of postmodern society, has weakened the social hold of society on the individual. This same society though, has afforded its citizens, for over half a century now, such prosperity that those very citizens have taken almost exclusively to personal endeavours. In line with Durkheim’s thought, the satiation of the individual has become central to Western society. The mental and psychological ‘discretion’ conferred to him/her by postmodernity (Lyotard 1979, p.7) has been matched by the hedonistic offerings of postmaterialism. Historically speaking, the values of modern Europeans are as much a product of their temporal milieu (the twentieth century) as they have ever been in epochs past. May they enjoy this time while it lasts. Reference List Achterberg, Peter. 2006, Why do so many people vote ‘unnaturally’? A cultural explanation for voting behaviour’, European Journal of Political Research, vol. 45, no. 1, pp.75-92. Aguila, Cornelio. 2008, ‘Postmodern Values and Leisure in Young Spanish University Students: An Exploratory Study’, Leisure Sciences, vol. 30, no. 4, pp.275-292. Durkheim, Emile. 2007, Les Formes Elementaires de la Vie Religieuse, Quadridge, Paris. Knight, Andrew. 2007, ‘Do Worldviews Matter? Post-materialist, Environmental, and Scientific/Technological Worldviews and Support for Agricultural Biotechnology Applications’, Journal of Risk Research, vol. 10, no. 8, pp.1047-1063. Lyotard, Jean-Francois. 1979, La Condition Postmoderne: Rapport sur le Savoir, Les Editions de Minuit, Paris. Puro, Steven. 1977, ‘Book Review: The Silent Revolution’, Library Journal, vol. 102, no. 11, p. 1264. Wilson, Marc Stewart. 2005, ‘A Social-Value Analysis of Postmaterialism’, Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 145, no. 2, pp. 209-224. Uhlaner, Lorraine. 2007, ‘Postmaterialism Influencing Total Entrepreneurial Activity Across Nations’, Journal of Evolutionary Economics, vol. 17, no. 2, pp.161-185. Read More