Post-modern society: new social actors and new protagonists

“Post-modern society: new social actors and new protagonists”, part of the Aspen Seminars for Leaders program, focused on the great challenge of contemporary society: how to effectively handle dialogue between the new emerging society and the culture of mainstream modernity, and the descendents of an archaic culture. This edition of the seminar put the spotlight on the main actors of postmodern society and the role they play in its development, partly with the aim of helping the business world operate in brave new contexts. The seminar started with a discussion of the epistemological, philosophical and operational bases of postmodernity. Its aim was to provide a greater understanding of emerging models, with special attention to the elderly and to youth. Discussion touched on guaranteeing a higher quality of life overall and a new, more active role for older people, especially given the current medical-scientific revolution that is successfully lengthening lifespans. There was also a discussion of the values, attitudes and characteristics of young people in postmodern society and the changes that new models will bring in behavior, motivation and consumer practices.