Sociology Plus
Postsocial Theory Definition
Postsocial theory is an analytical framework concerned with understanding contemporary shifts in sociality and social forms that emerge following periods of high social formation. It moves beyond earlier classical social thought, which often focused on the collapse of community, to examine how modern societies have experienced a “second break” with previous forms of sociality and solidarity. Rather than viewing this transition solely as ‘desocialisation’, postsocial analysis investigates alternative ways in which the self and other are bound, focusing particularly on the increasing role of non-human objects, altered structures of the self, and evolving forms of social imagination that subordinate traditional sociality to new concerns.
Origins and Context
The theoretical impetus for postsocial theory arises from the recognition that the expansions of social principles—such as those associated with the welfare state and the development of a social imagination—have reached an endpoint. While classical thought posited a collapse of community, subsequent historical developments led not to an asocial environment but to complex social structures. This shift is characterised by changes in societal focus, moving from collective political concerns towards areas fuelled by life sciences and shifts in interpersonal relationships.
Focus on Non-Human Objects
A central focus of postsocial theory is the role played by non-human objects in the contemporary reshaping of societies. This perspective challenges traditional views that treated objects merely as abstract technologies or fetishised commodities. Instead, postsocial arguments posit that object environments—comprising technological goods and knowledge structures—can situate and stabilise individual identities, offering new forms of sociality that supplement human relationships. Objects are seen not just as tools but as entities possessing relational potential, where their ‘hooking power’ stems from their indefiniteness of being.
Reconfiguring the Self
Postsocial analysis also critically reexamines models of the self inherited from earlier social science traditions. The classical model, rooted in figures like Mead and Freud, viewed the self as an entity formed through interaction with an ‘internalised other’ (the ego and censor). This is contrasted with alternative perspectives, such as those derived from Lacan, which frame the self not as a relation between the individual and society, but as a structure of desire driven by images of perceived wholeness or lack. Contemporary selves are increasingly shaped by media, image, and knowledge cultures that sustain a dynamic of wanting, suggesting a shift away from the internalized censor towards forms of intersubjectivity based on mediated experience.
The Expansion of Social Imagination
A third major focus involves the evolution of the social imagination. Where earlier visions sought the perfectibility of society through political revolution, contemporary imaginaries extend this concept to encompass life enhancement at the individual level and the biopolitics of populations. This cultural turn towards nature illustrates a replacement of the culture of the social with concepts centred on life itself. The influence of the life sciences inspires an imaginative elaboration of the human individual as enriched by biological and technological supplements, leading to a ‘biosociality’ that involves collective structures formed around biological concepts.
Postsocial Systems
Postsocial systems describe contemporary modes of sociality as reconfigured, specialized, and mediated forms, often functioning as liminal states rather than traditional bonds. These systems may be characterised by information structures replacing conventional coordination, such as sophisticated hardware and software enabling accelerated global markets. Furthermore, postsocial relations are often triangulated with object relations, existing in relation to these new structures rather than being defined solely by face-to-face interaction or established feelings of obligation and trust.