chapter study guide

The Later Twentieth Century: The Emergence of Postmodernism

WORLD WAR II AND ITS AFTERMATH

THE ART WORLD'S FOCUS SHIFTS WEST

POSTWAR EXPRESSIONISM IN EUROPE

MODERNIST FORMALISM

ALTERNATIVES TO MODERNIST FORMALISM

NEW MODELS FOR ARCHITECTURE: MODERNISM TO POSTMODERNISM

POSTMODERNISM IN PAINTING, SCULPTURE, AND NEW MEDIA

WORLD WAR II AND ITS AFTERMATH

The destruction and extensive loss of life during World War II had long-term personal, cultural, political, and economic consequences. After the war, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as rival superpowers.

Disruption and Upheaval

After World War II, disruption and dislocation took place throughout the world. Unrest continues in many countries. Hostilities and political uncertainty still characterize the world situation. In the 1960s and 1970s there emerged in the United States a counterculture that had considerable societal impact and widespread influence. The civil rights movement and the women's liberation movement rejected racism and sexism. Feminists charged that Western society's institutions perpetuated male power and subordination of women.

The Dynamics of Power

Various ethnic groups and gays and lesbians mounted challenges to discriminatory policies and attitudes and battled discrimination with political action.