Compare And Contrast Postmodernism And Post Modernism

The purpose of this essay is to compare and contrast modernism and post-modernism in the context of counseling theory and methodology. Although counseling came about on the foundation of a modern worldview, society now embraces a predominantly post-modern culture. Some counseling theorists recognized this shift in culture and developed postmodern theories of counseling. In this essay, I describe the impact of these worldviews as they relate to the counseling profession. I examine similarities and differences between modernism and post-modernism in the areas of language, research, and client-counselor relationships.
Language
Language is the primary tool of the counselor. In modernistic thought, science-based metaphors dominate the conversation and language represents a universally understood reality. The meaning of words is clear and those meanings are understood apart from taking culture or context into account. Language is part of the scientific method and viewed objectively.
In postmodernism, language contextualizes and …show more content…
In counseling practices that embrace postmodernism, the client-counselor relationship manifests itself differently. This difference occurs through collaboration and power sharing. In modernism, the extent to which the counselor's expert knowledge produces change indicates success. Counselors determine success by their client's development of new skills, rational thinking, and improved problem-solving. Postmodernists also view the client-counselor relationship as central to success but not for the transmission of knowledge, evaluation of rational thinking, or teaching of problem-solving skills. In postmodernism, the client-counselor relationship is essential for collaboration, witnessing, hearing, and sharing. This shift is clearly evidenced in the contexts of meaning, reason, power, and