Reinstating Modernity in Social Science Research – or – The Status of Bullwinkle in a Post-Postmodern Era

In recent years, postmodern critiques have enlarged in scope, and increasingly confronted traditional social scientists with challenges: epistemic, methodological, and moral. In this article, we offer a two-pronged response. First, we speak to problems within postmodern theory itself. We argue that, when taken seriously, the theory leads to contradictions in epistemology, to fragmentation in knowledge, to opportunism in interpersonal relationships, and to nihilism in moral action and commitment. Second, we demonstrate how many of the legitimate concerns of postmodernists can and are addressed in current ‘modern’ research programs. It is our hope that postmodernity – for those who believe that that is where we are – will give way to the post-postmodern era: modernity itself, reinvigorated.