Find solution
What is the difference between modern, traditional and contemporary?

What's the difference between 'modern' and 'contemporary'?

  • My supervisor suggest a research title 'The Representation of (whatever) in Modern and Contemporary Literature'... but don't modern and contemporary mean pretty much the same thing??! Or at least close enough that you wouldn't write both? I'm confused! :)

  • Answer:

    They seem to be the same thing but they aren't. Modernity is a concious effort to reject the past and do new things in new ways, it wants to be better than the past. Contemporary means being in the present. Contemporary dosen't need to reject the past and dosen't strive to be new. In practice, I find this division is mostly in the minds of the people who discuss these things. The outcome seems to be similar either way.

80's Child at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

Was this solution helpful to you?

Other answers

Contemporary means "at the same time" Contemporaries of Shakespeare, for instance, were Christopher Marlowe and Lope de Vega. The teacher probably doesn't know the precise meanings him/herself. Why not ask him/her what he/she means by the two terms, and how he/she distinguishes between them ? But first copy out for yourself the OED meaning for each one, and see if the supervisor's definitions agree.

Atalanta

Modern means up-to-date and something made recently or pertaining to present and recent time; not ancient or remote. Contemporary may refer to its generic sense, living, occurring, or existing, at the same time; often also used as a synonym for "modern". Or existing, occurring, or living at the same time; belonging to the same time. Hope I assisted in relieving some "confusion" ^^.

Rin Akimoto

I think contemporary means, now, in the present, while modern means, of these times, recently but necessarly right now.

john c

The do mean the same. Modern is now Contemporary more an off shoot now. New fangled.

Sally Anne

Related Q & A:

Just Added Q & A:

Find solution

For every problem there is a solution! Proved by Solucija.

  • Got an issue and looking for advice?

  • Ask Solucija to search every corner of the Web for help.

  • Get workable solutions and helpful tips in a moment.

Just ask Solucija about an issue you face and immediately get a list of ready solutions, answers and tips from other Internet users. We always provide the most suitable and complete answer to your question at the top, along with a few good alternatives below.