Postmodernism is a term used by philosophers, social scientists, art and social critics to refer to aspects of contemporary art, culture, economics and social conditions that are the result of the unique features of late 20th and early 21st century life. These features include phenomena such as globalisation, consumerism, branding, the fragmentation of authority, and the knowledge economy. An important characteristic of postmodernism is that we now have myriad different symbols and metaphors through which we can view the world – these include politics, religion, consumerism, science, art etc... Anything that cannot be physically sensed, such as social justice or one's concept of God, must be referred to by metaphor and symbol. The result is that meaningful communication about issues such as families, politics, sexuality, crime & violence without the use of shared metaphors and symbols is impossible. Some common metaphors in use today include:
Your views and beliefs about the world most likely centre around some of these metaphors. For example, if you see the world in terms of cause-effect and experimentation, you are oriented toward science. If you experience the world as a place of wonder and beauty, you will be oriented towards art and aesthetic.
People who share metaphors can communicate effectively and work together constructively. People who do not share common metaphors experience communication difficulties and find it extremely difficult to see each other with anything beyond fear and hostility. Due to this lack of communication between groups, most discussions around important issues quickly degenerate due to the absence of real understanding.