Post-literate society
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| - | A '''postliterate society''' is a hypothetical society wherein [[multimedia]] technology has advanced to the point where [[literacy]], the ability to read written words, is no longer necessary. Many advanced science-fiction societies are postliterate, for example in [[Dan Simmons]]' 2003 novel ''[[Ilium (novel)|Ilium]]''. | + | A '''postliterate society''' is a hypothetical society in which [[multimedia]] technology has advanced to the point where [[literacy]], the ability to read or write, is no longer necessary or common. The term appears as early as 1962 in [[Marshall McLuhan]]'s ''[[The Gutenberg Galaxy]]''. Many science-fiction societies are postliterate, as in [[Ray Bradbury]]'s ''[[Fahrenheit 451]]'', [[Dan Simmons]]' novel ''[[Ilium (novel)|Ilium]]'', and [[Gary Shteyngart]]'s ''[[Super Sad True Love Story]]''. |
| - | Postliterate is markedly different from preliterate. A preliterate society has not yet discovered how to read and write; a postliterate society has replaced the written word with an electronic oral culture, or some other means of communication. All information is either transmitted via sound or some other, more complex means. Postliteracy is sometimes considered a sign that a society is approaching the [[technological singularity]]. | + | A postliterate society is different from a [[pre-literate]] one, as the latter has not yet created writing and communicates orally ([[oral literature]] and [[oral history]], aided by art, dance, and singing), and the former has replaced the written word with recorded sounds ([[Compact Disc|CD]]s, [[audiobook]]s), broadcast spoken word and music ([[radio]]), pictures ([[JPEG]]) and moving images ([[television]], [[film]], [[MPEG-1|MPG]], [[streaming video]], [[video game]]s, [[virtual reality]]). A postliterate society might still include people who are [[Aliteracy|aliterate]], who know how to read and write but choose not to. Most if not all people would be [[Media literacy|media literate]], [[New literacies|multimedia literate]], [[Visual literacy|visually literate]], and [[Transliteracy|transliterate]]. |
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| + | In his recent nonfiction book, ''The Empire of Illusion'', Pulitzer prize–winner [[Chris Hedges]] charts the recent, sudden rise of postliterate culture within the world culture as a whole.{{citation needed|date=February 2012}} | ||
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| + | Author [[Bruce Powe]], in his 1987 book ''The Solitary Outlaw'', had this to say about a post-literate society: | ||
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| + | :Literacy: the ability to read and interpret the written word. What is post-literacy? It is the condition of semi-literacy, where most people can read and write to some extent, but where the literate sensibility no longer occupies a central position in culture, society, and politics. Post-literacy occurs when the ability to comprehend the written word decays. If post-literacy is now the ground of society questions arise: what happens to the reader, the writer, and the book in post-literary environment? What happens to thinking, resistance, and dissent when the ground becomes wordless? | ||
| - | In a postliterate society people can read words, but choose not to. They generally receive information in a visual form instead of a verbal form. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| *[[Asemic writing]] | *[[Asemic writing]] | ||
| + | *[[Cyberculture]] | ||
| + | *[[Daniel Bell]] | ||
| *[[Film]] | *[[Film]] | ||
| *[[Multimedia literacy]] | *[[Multimedia literacy]] | ||
| *[[Oral history]] | *[[Oral history]] | ||
| + | *[[Post-industrial society]] | ||
| *[[Radio]] | *[[Radio]] | ||
| *[[Television studies]] | *[[Television studies]] | ||
Revision as of 19:49, 21 September 2012
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A postliterate society is a hypothetical society in which multimedia technology has advanced to the point where literacy, the ability to read or write, is no longer necessary or common. The term appears as early as 1962 in Marshall McLuhan's The Gutenberg Galaxy. Many science-fiction societies are postliterate, as in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, Dan Simmons' novel Ilium, and Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story.
A postliterate society is different from a pre-literate one, as the latter has not yet created writing and communicates orally (oral literature and oral history, aided by art, dance, and singing), and the former has replaced the written word with recorded sounds (CDs, audiobooks), broadcast spoken word and music (radio), pictures (JPEG) and moving images (television, film, MPG, streaming video, video games, virtual reality). A postliterate society might still include people who are aliterate, who know how to read and write but choose not to. Most if not all people would be media literate, multimedia literate, visually literate, and transliterate.
In his recent nonfiction book, The Empire of Illusion, Pulitzer prize–winner Chris Hedges charts the recent, sudden rise of postliterate culture within the world culture as a whole.Template:Citation needed
Author Bruce Powe, in his 1987 book The Solitary Outlaw, had this to say about a post-literate society:
- Literacy: the ability to read and interpret the written word. What is post-literacy? It is the condition of semi-literacy, where most people can read and write to some extent, but where the literate sensibility no longer occupies a central position in culture, society, and politics. Post-literacy occurs when the ability to comprehend the written word decays. If post-literacy is now the ground of society questions arise: what happens to the reader, the writer, and the book in post-literary environment? What happens to thinking, resistance, and dissent when the ground becomes wordless?
See also
- Asemic writing
- Cyberculture
- Daniel Bell
- Film
- Multimedia literacy
- Oral history
- Post-industrial society
- Radio
- Television studies
- Transliteracy
- Visual literacy
