Orality, literacy, and modern media walter oug walter ong was, until his recent retirement, professorofhumanities atsaint ljuis university. The technologizing of the word constitutes a fundamental basis in research of oral and literate cultures. This thirtieth anniversary edition coinciding with ongs centenary year reproduces his bestknown and most influential book in full and brings it up. Ong does not waste ink in praise of reading and writing. His major interest was in exploring how the transition from orality to literacy influenced culture and changed human consciousness. Like primary orality, secondary orality has generated a strong group sense, for listening to spoken words forms hearers into a group, a true audience, just as reading written or printed texts turns individuals into themselves. The issue draws on contributions to a series of events on the theme that took. This classic work explores the vast differences between oral and literate cultures offering a very clear account of the intellectual, literary and social effects of writing, print and electronic technology.
Ongs classic work provides a fascinating insight into the social effects of oral, written, orality and literacy. Orality, literacy, and modern media in davdcrowlyanaul heyer, communication in history. Walter ongs orality and literacy is something of a classic. Soukup 2004 noted that the process of interpretation summarized much of ongs thoughts about communication. This classic work explores the vast differences between oral and literate cultures offering a very clear account of the intellectual, literary and. Walter jackson ong sj november 30, 1912 august 12, 2003 was an american jesuit priest, professor of english literature, cultural and religious historian and philosopher. The former has no knowledge of the written language whereas the latter is rooted from the oral culture and is dominated by writing and print cultures. Ongs classic work provides a fascinating insight into the social effects of oral, written, printed and electronic technologies, and their impact on philosophical, theological, scientific and literary. Ong 30 november 1912 12 august 2003 was university professor emeritus at saint louis university, usa, where he was previously professor of english and professor of humanities in psychiatry. As the paradoxical relationships of orality and literacy in rhetoric and learned latin suggest, the transition from orality to literacy was slow ong 1967b, pp. Ong on the differences between orality and literacy new. As i read ong, i kept having what i will call ongmoments. Ong, 9780415538381, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.
His chapter entitled some psychodynamics of orality has been particularly. Ong calls writing a technological revolution that not only transformed societies, but also restructured the way individuals think and feel in the privacy of their own minds. It is possible to generalize somewhat about the psychodynamics of primary oral cultures, that is, of oral cultures untouched by writing. Interdisciplinary studies in the long nineteenth century, which will appear in spring 2014. Ongs classic work provides a fascinating insight into the social effects of oral, written, printed and electronic technologies, and their impact on philosophical, theological, scientific and literary thought. Ong on the differences between orality and literacy new learning. The technologizing of the word 25 years ago, in 1982. This post is the first in a series of notes on walter ongs book orality and literacy. Sep 24, 2017 with the advent of technology there is a culture of new orality that is sustained by phones, radio and television. Ong s extraordinary orality and literacy which documents the invention of writing and its effect on culture. It explores the changes in consciousness that have been wrought by the introduction of literacy and then print into human culture.
Also available as a printed book see title verso for isbn details orality and literacy professor walter ongs book explores some of the profound changes in our. It investigates the ubiquitous and multimodal nature of the virtuality cultural phenomenon that is. Profound changes in thought processes and in personality and social structures were brought about by the invention of writing and the transformation from one stage of consciousness to. It is primary by contrast with the secondary orality of presentday hightechnology culture, in which a new orality is sustained by telephone, radio, television, and other electronic devices that depend for their existence and functioning on writing and print.
This dissertation seeks to create a vision for virtuality culture through a theoretical expansion of walter ongs literacy and orality culture model. The book appeared in methuen presss new accents series, under the general editorship of terence hawkes. Walter ong characterises the main differences between the languages of oral and literate cultures in these terms. Some of these folks cant read, but many who can at a basic. The changes, according to ong, have been momentous. Ongs classic work provides a fascinating insight into the social effects of oral, written, printed and.
This search has taken place at the macro level with walter ong and jack. The book, so far, is a corker, and looks to have significant implications for any discussion of markets as conversations and the like. With regard to oral tradition and primary orality he draws on pioneering work by milman parry, albert b. Chapter 3 orality and literacy revisited by gilles gravelle. In the book orality and literacy, walter ong mentions a primary oral culture and a chirographic culture. Ongs conclusions in orality and literacy 1982 are generally regarded as accurate depictions, and serve as the foundation for development of theories, strategies, and methodologies. Thirtythree years ago walter ong published his lifes work in orality and literacy. This has to do with everything, particularly in dealing with orality, literacy, secondary orality, and digital communication. Lastmentioned is the pristine orality of mankind untouched by writing or print. The first volume appeared at a time when people were. This is a topic that i had never thought about and it is truly fascinating. As walter ong observes in orality and literacy, the way we communicate whether it be through voice, writing, or print changes how we think and behave. Orality and literacy 25 years later centre for the study of. The term literature is used to describe oral cultures despite the fact that oral narrative is often never touched by writing.
The orality and literacy issue revisited oral tradition journal. Professor mindy mcadamss presentation about some of the key ideas from walter j. Ong this classic work explores the vast differences between oral and literate cultures offering a very clear account of the intellectual, literary and social effects of writing, print and electronic technology. Orality and literacy 25 years later semantic scholar. Jan 23, 2007 professor mindy mcadamss presentation about some of the key ideas from walter j.
Expanding walter ongs theory of orality and literacy through a. Like other artificial creations and indeed more than any other, it is utterly invaluable and indeed essential for the realization of fuller, interior, human potentials. Ong on the differences between orality and literacy walter ong characterises the main differences between the languages of oral and literate cultures in these terms. To say writing is artificial is not to condemn it but to praise it. Full text of ong walter, orality and literacy internet archive. In orality and literacy, walter ong gives a fascinating account of how the development of writing and moveable print has forever changed the way people think and process information. With the advent of technology there is a culture of new orality that is sustained by phones, radio and television. Ong undertakes a psychodynamic analysis of the differences between orality and literacy. Pdf on the theoretical foundations of orality and literacy. Expanding walter ongs theory of orality and literacy through a culture of virtuality by jennifer camille dempsey may 2014 dissertation supervised by dr.
Ong s classic work provides a fascinating insight into the social effects of oral, written, printed and electronic technologies, and their impact, isbn 9780415538374 buy the orality and literacy. This thirtieth anniversary edition coinciding with ongs centenary year reproduces his bestknown and most influential book in full and brings it up to date with two. Dealing with literacy and orality means inevitably dealing with walter ong whose book orality and literacy. Ong 2002, ong sums up his own work over the previous three decades as well as the work of numerous other scholars. Orality and literacy two crucial pathways into written language. Ongs extraordinary orality and literacy which documents the invention of writing and its effect on culture. Walter ong investigates the differences between a culture based on oral tradition and those based on the written word. Orality and literacy professor walter ongs book explores some of the profound changes in our thought processes, personality and social structures which are the result, at various stages of our history, of the development of speech, writing and print. The series of events in 2012, coconvened by james emmott and tom f. Ongs classic work provides a fascinating insight into the social effects of oral, written, printed and electronic technologies, and their impact, isbn 9780415538374 buy the orality and literacy. Communication theoryorality and literacy wikibooks, open. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Writing, in the strict sense of the word, the technology which has shaped and powered the intellectual activity of modern man, was a very late development in human history.
The literacy part, not so much, although the transition from orality to literacy is very interesting. His many publications have been highly influential for studies in the evolution of consciousness. Pdf files that visitors can read online or print out. The book was republished in 2002 and again on its 30 th anniversary in 2012, showing enduring interest in ongs scholarship and ideas. Interdisciplinary studies in the long nineteenth century forthcoming 2014. The technologizing of the word25 years ago, in 1982. The topic of orality and literacy constitutes a broad field of research and comprises a great amount of literature.
Walter ong oral cultures and early writing youtube. John hartley is an educator, author, researcher and commentator on the history and cultural. One of the best and most challenging books ive read in recent months is walter j. He notes the benefits of literacy, but his foundational point is that writing and subsequent print culture came from something from a rich and welldeveloped culture of speech speech orality is more basic to humanity than literacy. However, while the contrastive procedure in orality and literacy etched in. Secondary orality is both remarkably like and remarkably unlike primary orality. Orality and literacy biblical studies oxford bibliographies. Ong 19122003 is highly regarded within the universal view camp. Orality and literacy professor walter ong s book explores some of the profound changes in our thought processes, personality and social structures which are the result, at various stages of our history, of the development of speech, writing and print. Like primary orality, secondary orality has generated a strong group sense, for listening to spoken words forms hearers into a group, a true audience, just as reading written or. Wright sussex are coediting orality and literacy, a special issue of 19. Walter ongs 1988 book orality and literacy was a landmark in communication theory, articulating many of the central concerns of the toronto school. Topics orality collection opensource language english.
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