2. Postmodernism, Representation and History
3. Reflexive Postmodernism vs. Cultural Imperialism
Globalization I:
Postmodernity
Post-Industrialism
and Consumer Society
Starting Questions
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
What do you know about Postmodernism?
And postmodernity? Globalization?
How are they inter-related? How are they
related to postcolonialism?
Outline
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
Mapping, Definitions and Connections
From Modernity to Postmodernity –
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Fordism to post-Fordism
Post-Industrial Society
Disorganized capitalism
Service industry and Consumer Society
Globalization: Economic Issues; Taiwan as
an example
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Part II– Postmodernism, Representation and
History (In Country and Forrest Gump as Examples)

(Read: chap 8.3 Jameson [optional])
Intersections of Theoretical
Discourses and Socio-Economic Systems
Postcolonialism
Marxism
Feminism
Postmodernity
Postmodernism
Multinational Capitalism
Telecommunication
Globalization
Globalism
Globality
Definitions (1): Postmodernism
& Postmodernity

Controversial: (chap 7: 359)
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What is the ‘post’ here? What is modernism?
Variously defined as a period, a mode of thinking, and a
style?
Some declare it ‘passé.’
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postmodernity and postmodern conditions—
poststructuralist views of language, post-industrialism,
multinational/global capitalism and over-all
commodification  globalization
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Postmodernism –culture in music, literature,
architecture, popular culture and politics

Features：Depthlessness無深度, pastiche 拼貼、
metafictional (self-reflexive 後設)、ambiguity 模擬兩可、
questioning meta-narrative 質疑大敘述／真理、eclectic 折衷、
boundary-crossing 跨界、pluralistic 多元, etc.
Kate’s handout
pp. 49-50
Definitions (1): Different Views
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Kate’s handout
pp. 49-50
Definitions (1): Different Views
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Definitions (2): Postmodernism vs.
Postcolonialism
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Similarity -
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Contradictions -
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De-centering, Questioning Master Narratives and other
Authorities
multiplicity in language and culture  parody, ambiguity
and contamination.
History: e.g. Foucault -- The death of History   ReWriting histories (To be colonized is to be ‘removed from
history’ Albert Memmi ）
Subjectivity: pastiche 拼貼、contingent 臨時性 
constructing subjectivities
Aestheticized politics vs. counter discourse for social
change
Global capitalism vs. the only true counter-discourse,
“past the last post.” 最後的據點; both related to or
subsumed by issues of globalization
Definitions (3): Globalization
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Definition: the product of processes through which
goods, services, capital, people, information, and
ideas flow across borders and lead to greater
integration of economies and societies.
Cultural globalization –caused by the spreading of
English language, media culture, telecommunication,
migrating people, colonialism, international
capitalism and international organizations.
Economic globalization – also caused by
organization such as World Bank, free trade unions -such as 北美貿易協定NAFTA,關稅暨貿易總協定(Ｇ
ＡＴＴ)and 世界貿易組織(WTO) –which support
open and expanded market.  ECFA (Clips:
revolutions in the 90’s)
Issues: Global Empire and biopolitics? How are
local cultures retained and/or transformed.
Fordism to post-Fordism
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1.
2.
3.
4.
(Barker pp. 99-101)
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Keynesianism (State

economy)
Fordism –
Standardization (large-scale 
production of standardized
good)
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Rational Organization -
assembly line; full
employment and centralized
management
 scientific management;
industrial prosperity

(rigidity of Fordism in
investment, labor organization
and in social welfare).
Post-Fordism
Investment in the “emerging
countries” (CH [4] 16:40--, 24:00Flexible, variable production (e.g.
cell phone faceplate)
Just-in-Time stock management
Sub-contracting to horizontally
related ‘independent’
companies.(e.g. Nike, Taiwan’s
textile industry [next slide];《世界
是平的》 (Outsourced)
Reorganization of labor (pp. 102)
(clip: GVGP: 8:23 Lilliput
strategy; 11:20sweatshop)
紡織業前進東協(ASEAN)
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台灣紡織業外移中國大陸、東南亞並非
新鮮事，但是以往多以「來料加工」的成衣業或大
宗布料為主
近年跨海投資東協國家:原本台灣紡織強項、技術
門檻高的針織布大廠，和最上游端的化學纖維廠
(Sinorama 2009/7)
e. g. 以「針織布」起家的儒鴻(Eclat)，是全球知名運動休閒
品牌愛迪達、耐吉等的主要供應商，專長在各類功能性布料如抗
菌、排汗、自行車衣料的開發製作。近年為了因應品牌商從設計
到製造的整體委外(comprehensive outsourcing) ODM(Original
Design Manufacturer)要求，向下游垂直整合，發展出從布料
到服裝設計、成衣製作的「一次購足」服務。在其全球布局中，
成衣廠分設在柬埔寨、越南及非洲賴索托，但核心的織布和染整
共4個廠，則一直留在台灣。

2007 儒鴻越南織布染整一貫廠
(2) Neo-Fordism or
Regulation School
Stresses the role of social and cultural
relations in stablizing the advanced
capitalist economies.


1.
2.
While diversification of companies and
internationalization happens, labourers and
consumers are still regulated and conditioned:
intensification of labour
Emphasis on lifestyle in consumer culture.
(biopolitics)
(3) Post-Industrial Society
(Barker chap 5 104)
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A shift from industrial manufacturing to
service industry
A shift of emphasis from production to
consumption
Capital – information or knowledge
the dominance of 1) 電腦新貴 or PMC -Professorial-managerial class; 2) service
workers
Disorganized Capitalism
(106-107)
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Concentration and centralization fo industrial,
banking and commerical capital;
 Flexible forms of work organization
Consumer Society
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(pp. 108 –
Overall commodification – the lines between high
arts and popular culture get blurred;
Economy of Signs: signs replacing use values.
Lifestyle: Communal values (external validation)
replaced by personal lifestyles (assemblage of
goods, clothes, practices, experiences, appearance,
etc.)
Against the above argument: consumers rearticulation of the social as counter-hegemony (110)
Globalization: Controversial
Issues –economy
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Increasing discrepancy between the rich and the
poor
plutocracy (government by the wealthy few)–”The
Commanding Heights”
National sovereignty questioned, the farmers suffer.
Instability in employment (e.g. The newly poor in
Taiwan)
exploitation of third-world laborers (e.g. Nike, Disney,
clip)
The need to meet the trends (e.g. global brand,
culture industry, the pulling forces from mainland
China).
Globalization: Controversial
Issues –economy e.g.


台灣雖是全球化的參與者，但究竟是「全球化」
的主導力量？抑或只是「被全球化」所整合？
如果把全球化當成一個供應鍊條(chain)來看，
殘酷的事實是，目前台灣多數公司都稱不上是
全球品牌的企業，只能在供應鍊的上游和中游
找到自己的位置。但這不必然說明小國就是被
全球化，畢竟，芬蘭那麼小，也出了一個
NOKIA；荷蘭也不大，卻早就有一個飛利浦。
(中國時報,財經產業
920205)
競合 (Co-opetition); production of parts to
that of brands
References
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Cultural Studies: Theory and Practice. Christopher Barker. Sage:
2000.
Globalization defined
http://progressiveliving.org/globalization_defined.htm
COMMANDING HEIGHTS The Battle for the World Economy Daniel
Yergin
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/ (traces the battle
between State economy and market economy to two economists:
John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich von Hayek )
Related Clips:
1) Globalization and terrorism;
2) economic revolutions in 1990’s;
3) Fall of Communism: China’s Opening their market;
4) Mexico case (interconnection of politics and economy);
5) flows
6) capitalism; 7) the poor (e.g. snake kids)
8) For and against economic globalization