CMST 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Communication, Written Language, Marshall Mcluhan

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Communication Studies
• Course: CMST 1A03
• Professor: Christine Quail

Document Summary

Oral society: knowledge held by people, groups, close knit community, must stay together through time to survive. Oral communication ---epic poetry, bard, storytelling oral history, dance: unique performance, adaptable, preserves culture, stability, eg. Oral history as legal foundation for land claims: (this is an example for time bias) Electronic communication (cid:498)end of geography? (cid:499) intimately aware of things around the world. Global links more inclusive as more tech in our lives: shift social relationships, global village--- mcluhan ---information-gathering and transmission to make us, mobility--- anytime, anywhere, anything communication. Does communication mode reflect or structure society: oral society/oral communication, literate society/ written communication, electronic society/electronic communication. The technology will shape the way of communication according to the toronto school. Ends of middle ages: move away from feudal society and dominance of the church towards capitalism, disseminated ideas. Ideas from afar could lead to social change and destabilization: spread literacy, arts, the desire to control information.