Postmodernism, Explained

Both the left and right of the political spectrum use the term “postmodernism” loosely and often derogatorily, yet “postmodernism” is better understood as an umbrella term that contains a whole host of various ideas under it. Postmodernism can be broken down into three related but distinct categories: postmodernism as an aesthetic movement, postmodernism as a linguistic challenge, and postmodernism as a societal critique of late capitalism. Clarifying what postmodernism actually means can help to clear up the confusion surrounding the term.

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Twentieth-Century U.S. Cultural, Intellectual, Social, and Political Reading List

This list includes the books I am reading for comprehensive exams for my Ph.D. in twentieth-century U.S. history. My three fields are cultural and intellectual history, social and political history, and film history. Since these fields overlap with each other, I have organized the list into rough thematic and chronological categories. Essentially, this list should broadly cover the ideas, music, art, politics, and social movements within the U.S. during the twentieth century.

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