An Era of Narcissism

Perhaps Giddens has precisely described the era we are living in.

The "institutionalised mode of conduct..." has always been undergoing constant fragmentation and increased division of labour. But even within the social sphere of things, I suppose in a sociological way, an evolutionary shift of equilibrium can be traced. Perhaps this character is but a byproduct of nature's own way of securing the balance of society- an intended function. Or, could it any less validly be an unintended one?

I am referring to the post-modern culture.

As civilisation progresses, the bond of kinships somehow weaken. The reasons lie in structural and occupational explanations, triggering a string of adaptation not just in the economic sphere, but interestingly, the symbolic realm of interactionsim. Today, we had attuned ourselves to global diversity- something generally foreign in traditional times. But "diversity" has been developing ever since, an outcome of which threatens the cohesion that binds every fabric of society together due to intense pluralism to its extreme- multi individualism.

More succinctly put, Giddens calls it the era of narcissism. A time of ignorance, egoistical self-centeredness, and self-preservation. I think it would then erode the exclusivity of the concepts of dysfunctions, exceptions and known deviances so that the "diversity" label loses its sense of purpose.

Eventually, one could view the situation in two ways- a latent form of anarchy, or a less extreme reality of near-absolute relativity (in a social way). Viewed from a Marxist perspective then, capitalism in whichever form it manifests would not survive, will it? Since the controlling class loses its ideological dominance over its "commodities", who by then seek to (individualistically) perpetuate theirs. It wouldn't last long presumably, as Hobbes would put it: "...nasty, brutish and short..." even in a social context. Which means that a certain degree of interdependence must exist- yet this notion only conversely reflects the irony that a narcissistic society seems to offer.

Are we somehow conditioned to internalise this way of living? Or are we becoming more socially aware of our individual autonomies?