No Exit, No Resolution: Reflections on Postmodernism, Trauma, and Narratives

          Recently, I participated in the University of West Georgia's "Student Psychology Annual Research Conference" (SPARC) and presented my final research paper for my "Brief and Narrative Therapy" course.  In spite of preparation and lack of sleep, the presentation was well received and I felt it was quite outstanding and received several compliments on the presentation.  Below, you will find a link to a .PDF version of the the presentation that is publicly available on Google Drive as well as a .PDF of the essay which is also publicly available on Google Drive.  I have not posted the essay here in its entirety due to formatting errors in the past.  However, these documents (as stated) are publicly available for viewing, download, and searchable on the web.  I have provided the abstract from the essay for reference.

Abstract

The term “postmodernism” can refer to many different things ranging from art to politics. Postmodernism also has connotations with philosophical and social movements. The concentration of this essay is to examine the social sphere of the philosophical notion of postmodernism. It is, then, to say that the philosophical and social distributions of postmodernism are intimately connected. The first part of this essay will examine the precursor to postmodernism, “modernism”, as well as some of the movement’s weaknesses or shortcomings. The following will also address some of the social effects of interrogating meta- and personal influences. This essay asserts that we as a society and as individual persons are not, nor can we be, prepared for the “discursive construction” that embodies the heart of postmodernism. In fact, it may well be in our best interest not to be. A case will also be made against postmodernism and how it has been enacted within the world. Furthermore, I postulate that we exist within a unique state of trauma, perhaps post-trauma, in which our memories, narratives, and confidants are called into question from every angle. Nevertheless, The World and our worlds have not stopped or been enacted upon retroactively. Rather, we continue working, living, and being in a nameless age; a narrative with an innumerable amount of blank pages left to fill. So, it would seem, that somewhere between catharsis and oblivion, at the intersection of nowhere and everything, it is very probable that something quite therapeutic occurs.

Link to Presentation

Link to Essay