In thinking of what topic to use for my bibliography I thought of the different printed knowledge resources that I use. I found that not a day goes by in which I don't use a dictionary. Either to check my spelling or to make sure I'm using my words right.
While doing research I stumbled upon this quote which I thought was a pretty accurate intro into my topic.
"No reference book, perhaps no book of any kind except the Bible, is so widely used as "the dictionary."'
Pretty cool stuff.
So the research part was surprisingly fun. I was a little nervous to use printed resources as it was something I had never done before. It was interesting to see the little things you miss when actually going and doing the research physically. Actually turning the pages or cross referencing certain books and having to search shelves and follow library jargon. The library doesn't seem as daunting anymore and yet it's amazing to consider all the knowledge it holds on its shelves.
A fun thing to be able to do was read the book, search it's footnotes, and then find that referenced book. It made it easier to see how interrelated certain aspects of knowledge are and to be able to actually use the same books that authors used in their research. It also helped to create a sort of timeline as different authors from different times built upon eachother.
Another things to observe that I remembered from class discussions was the affect that highlighting or written notes had on the book. I found that I was drawn to the important parts, which was a help, while at the same time, I felt as if I might be overlooking things as my eyes would automatically be drawn to already highlighted portions. It definitely has its pros and cons.
Anyway, here goes my bibliography on the history of dictionaries.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Non-European Printing: an Enigma
Welcome, dear reader, to a dark tale of endless wo, of deadends and murky fens, of victory and defeat.
Looking down the list of topics, I found the entry "Non-European Printing." With visions of sweeping reference works carrying me conveniently to my destination atop a pile of relevant sources, I set off to the campus library.
What I found there was...less than idyllic. While the library computer catalog provided me with a few hits, its very generality of purpose renders it nearly useless. By the third page of results of one search I was reading about King Louis XIV's history, and "printing" brings up Uinta County: its place in history. Really?
Still, I found a few gems this way. I started off looking for A Short History of the Printing Press without paying mind to the publication year. This was in the section on the 5th floor about printing--which is well picked over at this point. I noticed quite a few titles that were intriguing. First, though, is the book I was looking for:
Looking down the list of topics, I found the entry "Non-European Printing." With visions of sweeping reference works carrying me conveniently to my destination atop a pile of relevant sources, I set off to the campus library.
What I found there was...less than idyllic. While the library computer catalog provided me with a few hits, its very generality of purpose renders it nearly useless. By the third page of results of one search I was reading about King Louis XIV's history, and "printing" brings up Uinta County: its place in history. Really?
Still, I found a few gems this way. I started off looking for A Short History of the Printing Press without paying mind to the publication year. This was in the section on the 5th floor about printing--which is well picked over at this point. I noticed quite a few titles that were intriguing. First, though, is the book I was looking for:
Biblio - Mania!!!
I chose to research the history of literacy for my annotated bibliography - I'm fascinated with how the transition from orality to literacy affects society. so i began in the library - i may have cheated, i wasn't too sure how we were and weren't supposed to find sources, so to get the ball rolling, i did a simple search of the library database for history of literacy. this led me to my first source. the other sources i found after this came in one of two ways. first, looking up what books the author had referenced , then doing the same with those books, then doing the same with those. there were also several interesting and applicable books on the shelves near books i was already looking for, so by just wandering the shelves a bit while searching for three books, i ended up with six. the process was very informative - as i found that nearly all the good books are on the bottom shelf, so you have to get down on your knees ans look like a fool to find good sources. it is also interesting to note that print knowledge enables a link to other knowledge resources - creating a web of knowledge that builds on itself perpetually (have you ever played the game where you have to connect one celebrity to another by the costars of the movies they've been in? it would be kinda fun to try to connect subjects or books by what books have referenced what other books)
so anyways - here's my bibliography - Enjoy!!
Historical Literacy:
Friedmann, Fredrick G., The Hoe and the Book: an Italian Experiment in Community Development, Cornell University Press, 1960. This book follows the efforts of a group called the UNLA (translated name is association for the fight against illiteracy) who advocate and promote literacy for rural Italian citizens with the belief that higher literacy leads to higher Quality of life. though this is a more modern source - the question of the benefits of literacy is pointedly addressed and could be applied top ancient civilizations.
Havelock, Eric A., The Literate Revolution in Greece and its Cultural Consequences, Princeton University Press, 1982. this book examines the cultural impacts that occurred from the shift in ancient Greek society because of the shift from orality to literacy. it examines the problems of transcribing the oral code of a people into a written code, the relationship between sound and sign, the preliteracy of the Greeks, the recording of homer's works and other things.
Havelock, Eric A., The Muse Learns to Write, Reflections on Orality and Literacy from Antiquity to Present, Yale University Press, 1986. This book's focus is on what happens in societies when the shift from orality to literacy is made. especially telling is the Greek shift from orality to literacy. Havelock states "the way we use our senses and the way we think are connected, and ... in the transition from Greek orality to Greek literacy the terms of this connection were altered, with the result that thought patterns were altered also, and have remained altered..."
Hezser, Catherine. Jewish Literacy in Roman Palestine: texts and studies in ancient Judaism. 2001. this book is an in depth analysis of ancient Jewish literacy. it traces the writings and literacy of biblical-era Jews, grecco-roman Jews, educational opportunities for each, including an examination of ancient Jewish educational institutions. other subjects discussed include the existence of archives and libraries, the distribution and ownership of books, the social status of literates and the view of illiteracy, and others.
Houston, R. A., Scottish Literacy and the Scottish Identity: illiteracy and society in Scotland and England 1600-1800, Cambridge university press, 1985. This book examines the literate revolution of Scotland from the 1600s to the 1800s. this includes the reasons for literacy and an analysis of literacy vs orality. Houston states; "We must question the simplistic notion of a non-literate society as somehow a culturally substandard version of a literate one"
Soltow, Lee, The Rise of Literacy and the Common School in the United States: a socioeconomic analysis to 1870. this is a book about literacy in early American history. it examines literacy by time periods - prior to 1840, and 1840-1870, with other studies and examples from similar time frames. this book is a socioeconomic analysis, giving a summary of the economic consequences of illiteracy in this time frame, but since economy plays an integral role in culture, this may be an interesting filter through which to view the cultural impact of literacy as well.
so anyways - here's my bibliography - Enjoy!!
Historical Literacy:
Friedmann, Fredrick G., The Hoe and the Book: an Italian Experiment in Community Development, Cornell University Press, 1960. This book follows the efforts of a group called the UNLA (translated name is association for the fight against illiteracy) who advocate and promote literacy for rural Italian citizens with the belief that higher literacy leads to higher Quality of life. though this is a more modern source - the question of the benefits of literacy is pointedly addressed and could be applied top ancient civilizations.
Havelock, Eric A., The Literate Revolution in Greece and its Cultural Consequences, Princeton University Press, 1982. this book examines the cultural impacts that occurred from the shift in ancient Greek society because of the shift from orality to literacy. it examines the problems of transcribing the oral code of a people into a written code, the relationship between sound and sign, the preliteracy of the Greeks, the recording of homer's works and other things.
Havelock, Eric A., The Muse Learns to Write, Reflections on Orality and Literacy from Antiquity to Present, Yale University Press, 1986. This book's focus is on what happens in societies when the shift from orality to literacy is made. especially telling is the Greek shift from orality to literacy. Havelock states "the way we use our senses and the way we think are connected, and ... in the transition from Greek orality to Greek literacy the terms of this connection were altered, with the result that thought patterns were altered also, and have remained altered..."
Hezser, Catherine. Jewish Literacy in Roman Palestine: texts and studies in ancient Judaism. 2001. this book is an in depth analysis of ancient Jewish literacy. it traces the writings and literacy of biblical-era Jews, grecco-roman Jews, educational opportunities for each, including an examination of ancient Jewish educational institutions. other subjects discussed include the existence of archives and libraries, the distribution and ownership of books, the social status of literates and the view of illiteracy, and others.
Houston, R. A., Scottish Literacy and the Scottish Identity: illiteracy and society in Scotland and England 1600-1800, Cambridge university press, 1985. This book examines the literate revolution of Scotland from the 1600s to the 1800s. this includes the reasons for literacy and an analysis of literacy vs orality. Houston states; "We must question the simplistic notion of a non-literate society as somehow a culturally substandard version of a literate one"
Soltow, Lee, The Rise of Literacy and the Common School in the United States: a socioeconomic analysis to 1870. this is a book about literacy in early American history. it examines literacy by time periods - prior to 1840, and 1840-1870, with other studies and examples from similar time frames. this book is a socioeconomic analysis, giving a summary of the economic consequences of illiteracy in this time frame, but since economy plays an integral role in culture, this may be an interesting filter through which to view the cultural impact of literacy as well.
Materials and style
Good morning!
I was in the Semitic language group for our recent Rosetta project. This was interesting for several reasons. (Sorry there aren't more pictures!)
For one, this is a fairly recent set of civilizations, mostly made up of Hebrew and Arabic speakers. (Notably, our group's civilizations spoke just these two languages.) I feel that these places, peoples, and times don't fit very well into our European slant on Civ I, but I also feel that they are fascinating and very much worth including. For example, studying medieval Islamic culture feels much more like studying Renaissance Europe, as scholarship, trade, and communications were all alive and well. This civilization was a significant source of classical Greek texts and philosophy during this time, as mentioned in class. This has been a source of confusion to me as we have been directed away from written culture while apparently expected to study an inherently writing-based culture. (Still, this confusion drove me to uncover several interesting facts about Islam/Arabic's transition from oral to written knowledge. I have yet to get a well-founded perspective on this historical period. It's relevant today given that many modern terrorists are motivated by specific readings of the Koran. Hmm...how are the Hadith and old naqqali culture related to present-day extremism?)
That being said, it was very informative to try to reproduce a simple piece of text in these languages. I was tasked with procuring the material on which to write.
Papyrus is as authentic as it comes, right? (We decided this based on our collective understanding of the cultures aat the time.) Did we not hear in special collections that the bookstore sells it? Whether or not we did, well, sadly, they don't. (The bookstore manager gave me a really strange look when I asked, as if I'd requested a blank obelisk...) The HFAC supply room was equally bereft of any reproduction of this ancient media.
It seems that these peoples often used parchment in their work as well, and the bookstore sells that! Well, sort of.
Turns out BYU likes animals.
They sell a specific finish and weight of paper called parchment that does not suffer from the...irregularities of traditional parchment sources. One of these papers had a nice, uniform "old" print on it, and, barring an overnight voyage to Egypt or to a tannery, we settled on the very pseudoauthentic paper. It should be noted here that the Islamic cultures were some of the first to adopt paper as a writing material from the Orient, so this wasn't entirely inaccurate. :)
With the medium decided upon, we proceeded to become copyists. The Internet provided us with Koran and Torah passages in their original (albeit vowel-marked) language. Turns out that writing Hebrew using a fountain pen is difficult. Arabic, with its flowing lines and curves, was easier, but still awkward. This is in part because writing with a fountain pen is difficult all on its own. Just getting the ink flowing is an art that only one of us ever 'got.' My attempt netted me a mouthful of ink.
Remember those wax tablets the Romans used? That group mentioned that they were sometimes used for composition and redaction of something that was then copied onto a less-temporary and less-forgiving medium. Well, we did the same thing. We carefully reproduced the characters from the computer screen using pencil, and then proceeded to fill them in with the pen. I think this two-part process was what rendered our Arabic "illegible" to the professor who helped the other group translate our product.
I think the Egyptian fiasco has been covered well enough elsewhere, so I will merely say that I hadn't the remotest idea just how fiendishly complex hieroglyphics were. Nor did the other group, I daresay. It's no wonder that classical Egyptian remained uncracked until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone!
(Also, while I do agree that our midterms have been amazing as learning instruments, they have not been examinations.)
I was in the Semitic language group for our recent Rosetta project. This was interesting for several reasons. (Sorry there aren't more pictures!)
For one, this is a fairly recent set of civilizations, mostly made up of Hebrew and Arabic speakers. (Notably, our group's civilizations spoke just these two languages.) I feel that these places, peoples, and times don't fit very well into our European slant on Civ I, but I also feel that they are fascinating and very much worth including. For example, studying medieval Islamic culture feels much more like studying Renaissance Europe, as scholarship, trade, and communications were all alive and well. This civilization was a significant source of classical Greek texts and philosophy during this time, as mentioned in class. This has been a source of confusion to me as we have been directed away from written culture while apparently expected to study an inherently writing-based culture. (Still, this confusion drove me to uncover several interesting facts about Islam/Arabic's transition from oral to written knowledge. I have yet to get a well-founded perspective on this historical period. It's relevant today given that many modern terrorists are motivated by specific readings of the Koran. Hmm...how are the Hadith and old naqqali culture related to present-day extremism?)
That being said, it was very informative to try to reproduce a simple piece of text in these languages. I was tasked with procuring the material on which to write.
Papyrus is as authentic as it comes, right? (We decided this based on our collective understanding of the cultures aat the time.) Did we not hear in special collections that the bookstore sells it? Whether or not we did, well, sadly, they don't. (The bookstore manager gave me a really strange look when I asked, as if I'd requested a blank obelisk...) The HFAC supply room was equally bereft of any reproduction of this ancient media.
It seems that these peoples often used parchment in their work as well, and the bookstore sells that! Well, sort of.
Turns out BYU likes animals.
They sell a specific finish and weight of paper called parchment that does not suffer from the...irregularities of traditional parchment sources. One of these papers had a nice, uniform "old" print on it, and, barring an overnight voyage to Egypt or to a tannery, we settled on the very pseudoauthentic paper. It should be noted here that the Islamic cultures were some of the first to adopt paper as a writing material from the Orient, so this wasn't entirely inaccurate. :)
With the medium decided upon, we proceeded to become copyists. The Internet provided us with Koran and Torah passages in their original (albeit vowel-marked) language. Turns out that writing Hebrew using a fountain pen is difficult. Arabic, with its flowing lines and curves, was easier, but still awkward. This is in part because writing with a fountain pen is difficult all on its own. Just getting the ink flowing is an art that only one of us ever 'got.' My attempt netted me a mouthful of ink.
Remember those wax tablets the Romans used? That group mentioned that they were sometimes used for composition and redaction of something that was then copied onto a less-temporary and less-forgiving medium. Well, we did the same thing. We carefully reproduced the characters from the computer screen using pencil, and then proceeded to fill them in with the pen. I think this two-part process was what rendered our Arabic "illegible" to the professor who helped the other group translate our product.
(Also, while I do agree that our midterms have been amazing as learning instruments, they have not been examinations.)
Monday, November 28, 2011
Annotated Bibliography on Censorship
I have really enjoyed researching an overarching theme in each of the units, and especially in this unit on printed knowledge, which is how knowledge has been controlled and thus used to create dichotomies between those who "know" and those who don't "know." Knowledge seems to have always been used to place one group above another through putting prices on the knowledge, controlling the language of the knowledge, and, as I have more recently researched, through censorship of knowledge. That's a concept: The ability to manipulate knowledge, even to the ability to remove it completely from a referable source, creates even more power in the hands of the censor.
Below is an annotated bibliography of several books I found about the early beginnings of censorship in the printing world.
Friday, November 18, 2011
hmmm......
blogger is being a bit strange today (maybe it's my computer)
so my post for the day appears to have published a few posts down. sorry!
<3 jared
so my post for the day appears to have published a few posts down. sorry!
<3 jared
response to "dogma"
So, i think as people in general have become more educated, "Dogmas" of other groups have been placed in question, which i think is why the term dogma has lost its value - think of yourself as an atheist college student at a liberal arts university (ie. the opposite existence of the average BYU student). so if you were this person (not you) how would you view the "dogmatic" beliefs that a 14 year old boy saw god, who told him he had to save all the world's souls. how about the "dogmatic" teaching that the eucharist turns into the ACTUAL FLESH of jesus christ inside your body. what about the centrally dogmatic belief that the scientific method is the only way to obtain truth?
while i'm guessing that the first two would be complete poppycock, the third is probably sounding pretty good to you.
but my question is WHY??? why would these essential unquestionable FACTS(according to those that believe them) be questioned?
is it because education enhances skepticism?
is it an us vs them issue?
is it because the mass quantity of information that is available (a lot of it being GARBAGE) forces people to choose what they will and will not believe?
^^^does the above question suggest that the "digital" age has brought about the necessity of new social skills?
^^^does this happen whenever there is a shift in knowledge institutions?
while i'm guessing that the first two would be complete poppycock, the third is probably sounding pretty good to you.
but my question is WHY??? why would these essential unquestionable FACTS(according to those that believe them) be questioned?
is it because education enhances skepticism?
is it an us vs them issue?
is it because the mass quantity of information that is available (a lot of it being GARBAGE) forces people to choose what they will and will not believe?
^^^does the above question suggest that the "digital" age has brought about the necessity of new social skills?
^^^does this happen whenever there is a shift in knowledge institutions?
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