Orality and Literacy Flashcards
Who is the main theorist?
Walter J. Ong’s book “Orality and Literacy” focuses on the cognitive and cultural shifts brought about by the transition from oral to literate cultures.
Elucidate the difference between primary orality and secondary orality.
Ong distinguishes between primary orality (cultures with no knowledge of writing) and secondary orality (cultures deeply influenced by literacy but returning to oral practices, like telephone or radio). This distinction helps understand how oral and literate cultures process information and knowledge differently.
Elucidate the impact of literacy on thought and communication.
Ong argues that the advent of literacy fundamentally changed human cognition and communication. Writing and reading promote analytical thinking, abstraction, and individualism, differing significantly from the communal, formulaic, and situational thinking of oral cultures.
Elucidate the technologizing of the word.
Ong discusses how the development of writing technology (from alphabets to print to digital text) transforms human consciousness. This concept highlights the interplay between communication technologies and cognitive processes.
Elucidate oral memory and formulaic expression.
In oral cultures, knowledge is preserved through memory and oral performance, relying on formulaic expressions and repetition. This contrasts with the literate culture’s reliance on external memory (text).
Elucidate orality, literacy and education.
Ong’s work has significant implications for education, emphasizing the different ways in which oral and literate cultures learn and transmit knowledge.
Elucidate the psychodynamics of orality.
Ong explores the interpersonal dynamics of oral communication, such as the immediacy, participatory nature, and communal aspects, which are less prominent in literate cultures.
Elucidate the influence on media ecology.
Ong’s ideas contribute to the media ecology field, particularly in understanding how different communication technologies influence human thought, culture, and society.
Elucidate orality in the digital age.
His work is also significant in understanding the resurgence of orality in the digital age, where technologies like podcasts and social media re-emphasize oral communication patterns.
What are the main conclusions?
In “Orality and Literacy,” Walter J. Ong presents a comprehensive analysis of how the shift from orality to literacy has shaped human consciousness, culture, and social structures. His work provides critical insights into the cognitive and social implications of communication technologies, offering a framework for understanding the ongoing impact of these shifts in the digital era.
