Orientalism, Postmodernism and GlobalismIt is often thought that the development of capitalism and the modernization of culture have brought about a profound decline of religious belief and commitment. The history of Christianity in the last two decades appears to be a good illustration of this general process of secularization with the undermining of belief and commitment as Western cultures became industrial and urban. However, in the twentieth century we have seen that Islam continues to be a dominant force in politics and culture not only in the Orient but in Western society. In this challenging study of contemporary social theory, Bryan Turner examines the recent debate about orientalism in relation to postmodernism and the process of globalization. He provides a profound critique of many of the leading fissures in classical orientalism. His book also considers the impact of the notion of the world in sociological theory. These cultural changes and social debates also reflect important change in the status and position of intellecuals in modern culture who are threatened, not only by the levelling of mass culture, but also by the new opportunities posed by postmodernism. He takes a critical view of the role of sociology in these developments and raises important questions about the global role of English intellectuals as a social stratum. Bryan Turner's ability to combine these discussions about religion, politics, culture and intellectuals represents a remarkable integration of cultural analysis in cultural studies. |
Contents
Orientalism and the problem of civil society in Islam While | |
Accounting for the Orient | |
Conscience in the construction of religion | |
Gustave von Grunebaum and the mimesis of Islam | |
Politics and culture in Islamic globalism | |
From orientalism to global sociology | |
The concept of the world in sociology | |
Nostalgia postmodernism and the critique of mass culture | |
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Common terms and phrases
absence alternative analysis argued argument attempt Beck beliefs capitalism capitalist century Christianity civil society classical sociology commitment concept conscience consequence consumerism contemporary context critical critical theory critique debate despotism discourse dominant Durkheim economic elite emergence English intellectuals epistemology ethic everyday example fact feature forms Foucault Frankfurt School fundamental Gellner global grand narratives Grunebaum high modernity Hodgson human idea ideology impact important individual institutions intelligentsia involved Islam Islamic fundamentalism Islamization of knowledge issue legacy low culture Marx Marxist mass culture Max Weber Michel Foucault mode of production modern societies moral Muslim nation-state Nietzsche nostalgia nostalgic notion oriental society orientalist paradigm perspective philosophy piety political postmodernism problem problematic profound question radical rational reflexive regulation relationship religious risk risk society Robertson role Said's secularization social change social science sociologists sociology of religion specific structure studies theme theory traditional Turner University values Weber Weber's sociology Western