Modernity is a term that is closely associated with the social circumstances that arose in the advent of capitalism. Modernity borrows heavily from history and is used to refer to the changes that took place in the in the Western Europe especially after the age of enlightenment. Notable events in the history of the human race such as the Second World War have great influence in the view of modernity. Modernism is a philosophical movement that accompanies modernity. It is the tangible effect of modernity that is made evident in the people’s culture and traditions. However, modernism is difficult to define and has been the subject of debate in scholarly circles as the intellectuals try to define modernity. Modernism is constantly shifting in definition; at the global scale it is evident in music, art, architecture and literature. Modernism reduces the traditions that accompany the way of life since it takes place at a global scale.
Modernity refers to the trends in areas such as, art, music and literature. Modernity, on the other hand, refers to the attitudes of the people relating to culture and the way of life. In the definition of modernity, the views of the people on reason, religion and technology are considered while the in modernism the tangible or the notable trends are paramount in the definition of the modernism. The people’s perception of modernity and modernism is influenced by the geographical location. People in the Middle East have a different perception of modernity as compared to the people in Mexico or Norway. In the modern world modernity and modernism have been difficult to distinguish. Globalization has made the two concepts to be almost merged in the popular culture.
Works Cited
Berbeito, Manuel. Modernity, Modernism, Postmodernism. New York: Pearson Inc, 2012.
