1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910826940603321

Autore

Gaur Albertine

Titolo

Literacy and the politics of writing / / Albertine Gaur

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Bristol ; ; Portland, : Intellect, 2000

ISBN

1-84150-881-0

9786610477340

1-280-47734-2

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (194 p.)

Disciplina

302.2/244

Soggetti

Written communication

Writing - History

Books - History

Literacy

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Description based upon print version of record.

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Front Cover; Preliminary Pages; Contents; Introduction; 1. What is writing?; 2. Non-linguistic forms of writing; 3. The introduction of language elements; 4. Extinct scripts: the infrastructure of palace and temple; 5. The common origin of contemporary writing systems; 6. The special place of certain writing systems; 7. The political success of unsuitable writing systems; 8. Script inventors and script inventions; 9. Rewards and problems of decipherment; 10. Calligraphy - a corporate logo?; 11. What is a book?; 12. Printing, the writing masters and the Internet; 13. What is literacy?

Some final thoughtsIndex; Back Cover

Sommario/riassunto

With the growth of modern information technology, it is time to re-examine the concept and purpose of writing, and question the long cherished idea that the alphabet stands at the apex of a hierarchy towards which all 'proper' forms of writing must necessarily progress. This beautifully illustrated book shows that the primary purpose of writing is the ability to store and transmit information, information essential to the social, economical and political survival of a particular group. Writing, in whatever form, allows the individual the interact with the group, to acquire an amount of knowled