Pulp Fiction - a Sociological Debate

Assess the extent to which sociological arguments and evidence support the view that society has entered a stage of postmodernity (33 Marks)

Pulp Fiction (1994) is a mesmerizing, violent and entertaining movie. It has a bizarre cast of characters, a nonlinear sequence of events and endless references to pop culture. The underlying theme of the movie, however, deals with religion and the transformation of two characters: Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) and Butch (Bruce Willis).

Postmodernism is a philosophical movement branches its roots in the mid to late 20th century as a response to modernism. “It refers to a cultural, intellectual, or artistic state lacking a clear central hierarchy or organizing principle”. Therefore, there is no well-shaped definition or sets of rules for postmodernism as it is a critique of structures and what we refer to as real but for postmodernism, there is no “absolute truth”.

Postmodernism or postculturalism, a term often also used, offer a very different and much more radical version of constructivism. They are strongly opposed to the universalist premises of realism, liberalism, Marxism and post-Marxism, and are highly critical of the general phenomenon of the aforementioned modernity (Lawson, p. 145).

The most influential American movie of 90’s was Pulp Fiction. This thriller is set in Los Angeles underworld and blends three stories of crime, intrigue and black humor. It was directed by Quentin Tarantino who also made “Reservoir dogs”, Kill Bill” and “Inglorious bastards.” It has an awesome script by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary. Jhon Travolta stars as Vincen Vega and Samuel L. Jackson stars as Jules Winnfield. The story takes place when this two hitmen have to retrieve a suitcase stolen from their gangster boss and a serie of bizarre and funny incidents to achieve it. Also Uma Thurman as Mia Wallace, Ving Rhames as Marsellus Wallace, and Bruce Willis as Butch Coolidge have unforgettable performances. The unique soundtrack is a mix

In modern society the Hollywood lifestyle is glamorized all across television, social media, magazines, and etc. The main attributes that are highlighted would be money, power, and fame. Surprisingly, many people are willing to do whatever it takes to obtain the Hollywood “dream” that they are willing to go against their morality and standards. Unfortunately, many top tiered entertainment moguls comprehend many people's desperation to get into the industry, and exploit vulnerable up incoming actors, models, and musicians. Some of the moguls would demand a particular type of service in exchange they promise the upcoming star more notoriety. In the last couple of weeks there has been many reports circulating about the “dark” side of Hollywood it

This essay will identify and analyse the key concept in sociology also to criticise and to evaluate at least the three-major sociology perspective which are Marxism, functionalism and feminism. furthermore, this essay will define the meaning of sociology and explain the strength and weakness of how these sociological perspectives have influenced society. Some of this sociological perspective has brought social, political, and economic reformation in many communities in some parts of the world today also, it will further discuss some criticism about these perspectives and looking into some contemporary issues in our modern society such as crime and mostly armed robbery and the effect on the communities. According to Brown, K.(2009 p.3) sociology

Lyotard, Jean François. The Postmodern Explained to Children: Correspondence "Answering the Question: What Is the Postmodern?", 1982-1985. Sydney: Power Publications, 1992.

Post Modernism Perspective’s- "According to postmodern perspectives, existing theories have been unsuccessful in explaining social life in contemporary societies that are characterized by post industrialization, consumerism, and global communications (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29).”Postmodern theories are based on the assumption that the rapid social change that occurs as societies move from modern to postmodern (or postindustrial) conditions has a harmful effect on people. One evident change is the significant decline in the influence of social institutions such as the family, religion, and education on people’s lives. Those who live in postmodern societies typically pursue individual freedom and do not want the structural constraints that are imposed by social institutions (Kendall, 01/2014, p. 29). "Postmodern (or “postindustrial”) societies are characterized by an information explosion and an economy in which large numbers of people either provide or apply information, or they are employed in professional occupations (such as lawyers and physicians) or service jobs (such as fast-food servers and health care workers). (Kendall, 01/2014, pp. 29-30)

1. Tarantino and libertarianism “Class is fundamentally used in the service of sexism,” says Derrida. Lyotard’s analysis of subcultural theory holds that language is capable of significant form. Thus, in Jackie Brown, Tarantino denies postdialectic rationalism; in Pulp Fiction, however, he affirms capitalist objectivism.

To fully appreciate the differences and similarities between Postmodernism and Modernism, it is required to understand exactly what they are. Modernism is the term we give to the accumulated creations and activities of designers in the early 20th century, who had the theory that traditional forms of literature, religion, social organization, and most of all, art and architecture, had become outdated in the new social, political, and economic environment of a fully industrialised world. One of the main characteristics of Modernism is self-consciousness, which typically caused exstensive experimentations of form and function. The creative process of generating work was also explored, forming new techniques in design. Modernism rejected all ideology of realism and prefers to reference and parody works of the past. Postmodernism, on the other hand, is a radical rejection of Modernist design. Taking place in the late 20th century, it is a movement in art, criticism, and architecture that disputes the majority of modernist tendencies. The Postmodernist analysis of society and culture lead to the expansion of critical theory and advanced the works of architecture, literature, and design. This entire re-evaluation of the western value system of popular culture, love, marriage, economy, that took place from the 1950s and 60s, leading to the peak of the Social Revolution in 1968, is commonly referred as Postmodernity which influenced postmodern thought, as opposed to the term

Throughout the course of the semester we have studied the works of various sociologists. Each sociologist that we studied, have had varying ideas of what culture in society is. However, we examined each article with a central theme in mind being “culture is about meaning-making”. Though meaning making has a general definition that will be discussed later, each writer addressed it differently. The contribution each of these writers has had to our course has been very important when looking at the aspect of culture in society.

Postmodernism refers to a broad term used to explain movements in philosophy, art, music and critical theory. Postmodernism is viewed as a reaction to the pioneering modernist movement. In literature and art, postmodernism responds against classical ideas. With respect to post-structuralism and structuralism, there is a great difference between postmodernism

Postmodernism is one of the most controversial and influential intellectual movements to appear in the last fifty years.  In order to understand postmodernism, it would be wise to begin with a definition of modernism.  Modernism is a philosophy based on the belief that through Enlightenment values of rationality and the absolute truth of science, the human race will evolve into a utopia.  Modernists are Eurocentric, humanistic, and optimistic.  Postmodernism is essentially a rejection of modernism and all Enlightenment values.  More importantly, postmodernism looks upon the "modern" world with increased cynicism and disappointment.  Key themes in postmodern thought include irony,

The main features of a postmodernist are that he or she is overly subjective, sensitive towards the role of ideology in assertion and maintenance of political and economic power. On the other hand, a modernist for example, there exists objective natural reality which is independent of human beings, their practices and relationships (Duignan, 2014). Such realities