The Post-Modern and the Post-Industrial: A Critical Analysis

By Margaret A. Rose

Book Overview

This book offers an historical and critical guide to the concepts of the post-modern and the post-industrial. It brings admirable clarity and thoroughness to a discussion of the many different uses made of the term post-modern across a number of different disciplines (literature, architecture, art history, philosophy, anthropology and geography, to name but a few). It also analyses the concept of the post-industrial society to which the concept of the post-modern has often been related. Dr Rose discusses the work of many major theorists in the area, from Hassan, Lyotard, Jameson and Foster to the architectural historian Charles Jencks, and also looks at analyses and uses of the concepts of the post-modern and post-industrial by Frampton, Portoghesi, Peter Fuller and some feminist critics.

This book provides a clear and much-needed guide to a highly controversial discussion.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521409527
• ISBN13: 9780521409520
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 332 Pages
• Weight: 0.94 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Useful introduction to the postmodern and post-industrial

This text provides a thorough history of and introduction to theories of the postmodern and post-industrial. The topics are extremely complex and difficult to understand, and Rose's writing style does not help. There are more footnotes than actual text, and, at times, I found it difficult to discern whether the author was discussing a particular person's theories, or a critique of those theories. Also, though Rose does not specifically state her position, after reading the book, she clearly favors the double-coded theory of Charles Jencks. While being very critical of Deconstructionist postmodernism, she moves through Jencks' theories without mentioning any of its difficulties. If you attempt to study this book in any depth, beware. It took me over 150 hours to read this book closely. Granted, I was reading to prepare for a presentation to a graduate course at Stony Brook University, and may have read closer than many other people. If you find yourself in a similar situation, give this book 5 hours and spend the other 145 studying source materials. If you want a general overview of Deconstructionist and Double-Coded theories of the postmodern and post-industrial, this book may be of help. I give four stars, because I am reluctant to give fewer. I did enjoy this book, but I don't really know if I can recommend it.