Multiple Experiences of Modernity

Book excerpt: Contemporary theories of modernity recognize the plurality or »multiplicity± of modernities. Often the differences are seen as institutional or cultural differences. Although this sort of research is important it cannot be ignored that it does not provide a clear understanding of the »human consequences±. The tradition that today is known under the name of Critical Theory, on the contrary, has been interested always first of all in the human consequences. This book wants to follow this ambition. The question it tries to search answers for is: what are the experiences that human beings are making in and within global modernity? Another question is important: what are the affinities and what are the differences. Also Critical Theory was mainly interested in the Western experiences with and within global modernity. The book will challenge this limited view by looking how modernities is experienced in other parts of the world.0Following the tradition of critical theory, the volume enquires into the experiences people make with and in global modernity. It thereby seeks to draw attention to both affinities and differences in these experiences, and to depart from the western horizon of experience and consider other forms of experience. Current theories of modernity are based on the assumption of the diversity of modernity. This diversity is frequently understood to be the outcome of institutional and cultural differences.