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Summary Historical Perspectives on Media and Communication
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  • Historical Perspectives On Media And Communication
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  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Very complete document with class notes and course material included Grade in first exam session: 18/20

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  • June 20, 2021
  • 78
  • 2019/2020
  • Summary

Subjects

  • communication
  • historical perspectives
  • communication studies
  • communication sciences
  • media and communication
  • media

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  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
  • Bachelor Of Social Sciences - Communication Specialisation
  • Historical Perspectives On Media And Communication
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HISTORICAL‌‌PERSPECTIVES‌‌ON‌‌ ‌
MEDIA‌‌AND‌‌COMMUNICATION‌ ‌
2019-2020‌ ‌
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BACHELOR‌‌SOCIAL‌‌SCIENCES‌‌ PROF.‌‌FREDERIK‌‌DHAENENS‌ ‌

D.‌‌L.‌‌Y.‌‌ ‌
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, CHAPTER‌‌ONE‌‌ ‌
HISTORIES‌‌OF‌‌MEDIA‌‌AND‌‌COMMUNICATION‌ ‌



1.‌‌THE‌‌PAST,‌‌HISTORY‌‌AND‌‌HISTORIOGRAPHY‌ ‌

1.1.‌‌DEFINITIONS‌ ‌

● The‌‌past‌=‌ ‌‌the‌‌time‌‌that‌‌has‌‌gone‌‌by;‌‌no‌‌longer‌‌the‌‌present‌‌ ‌
● History‌=‌ ‌‌a‌‌narration‌‌of‌‌the‌‌past‌ ‌
○ The‌‌present‌‌has‌‌to‌‌enter‌‌into‌‌the‌‌past‌‌to‌‌become‌‌visible,‌‌intelligible,‌‌writable‌ ‌
○ No‌‌consensus‌‌how‌‌much‌‌time‌‌must‌‌pass‌‌to‌‌become‌‌historical‌‌ ‌
○ Not‌‌overnight,‌‌it‌‌takes‌‌time‌‌to‌‌see‌‌processes‌‌of‌‌change‌‌ ‌
● About‌‌people,‌‌nation-states,‌‌relations‌‌between‌‌historical‌‌events,‌‌social‌‌and‌‌economic‌‌conditions‌‌ ‌
● Historiography‌‌‌=‌‌actual‌‌practice‌‌of‌‌writing‌‌history‌‌ ‌
○ Retrospective‌‌process‌ ‌
○ Many‌‌divergent‌‌ways‌‌of‌‌‘doing’‌‌history‌ ‌

1.2.‌‌HISTORY‌‌AS‌‌AN‌‌ACADEMIC‌‌DISCIPLINE‌ ‌
1.2.1.‌‌PROFESSIONALISATION‌‌OF‌‌THE‌‌DISCIPLINE‌‌IN‌‌THE‌‌19TH‌‌CENTURY‌ ‌

● Historian‌=‌ ‌‌reflect‌‌and‌‌share‌‌‘the‌‌critical‌‌changes‌‌in‌‌the‌‌conditions‌‌of‌‌a‌‌society’‌‌(H.H.‌‌Vaughan,‌‌1848)‌ ‌
● Introduction‌‌history‌‌programs‌‌in‌‌various‌‌universities,‌‌anchored‌‌within‌‌humanities‌‌and‌‌social‌‌sciences‌ ‌

● Shared‌‌ideas‌‌about‌‌the‌‌‘right’‌‌way‌‌of‌‌doing‌‌history‌‌and‌‌its‌‌subject‌‌matter‌ ‌
○ More‌‌scientific‌‌(positivist)‌‌ ‌
○ Explored‌‌and‌‌developed‌‌in‌‌DE‌ ‌
○ Leopold‌‌von‌‌Ranke‌‌‌=‌‌modern‌‌source-based‌‌history‌ ‌
○ Objectivity,‌‌rigorous‌‌methods‌‌for‌‌truth‌‌claims‌‌and‌‌careful‌‌interpretation‌‌of‌‌the‌‌evidence‌ ‌
○ No‌‌longer‌‌relying‌‌on‌‌chronicles‌‌but‌‌on‌‌archival‌‌material‌‌ ‌
■ Primary‌‌sources‌ ‌
■ Official‌‌government‌‌documents‌ ‌
○ Techniques‌‌to‌‌assess‌‌authenticity‌‌of‌‌the‌‌material‌‌ ‌

● Shared‌‌interest‌‌in‌‌studying‌‌the‌‌nation-state‌ ‌
○ Especially‌‌administrative‌‌and‌‌constitutive‌‌developments,‌‌military‌‌and‌‌diplomatic‌‌relations‌‌ ‌
○ Nation-states‌‌had‌‌opened‌‌up‌‌their‌‌archives‌ ‌
○ Beginning‌ ‌of‌ ‌20th‌ ‌century:‌ ‌narrative‌ ‌histories‌ ‌on‌‌‘political‌‌and‌‌military‌‌elites‌‌that‌‌created,‌‌defined‌‌
and‌‌maintained‌‌the‌‌modern‌‌nation-state’‌‌(Scannell,‌‌p.221)‌ ‌

1.2.2.‌‌NARRATIVE‌‌HISTORIES‌‌CRITICISED‌‌DURING‌‌THE‌‌20TH‌‌CENTURY‌ ‌

● Methodological‌‌objections‌ ‌
○ Privileging‌‌the‌‌narrative‌‌ ‌
■ Focus‌‌on‌‌a‌‌single‌‌event,‌‌few‌‌key‌‌actors,‌‌chronological‌‌action‌ ‌

1‌ ‌

, ○ French‌‌Annales‌‌School,‌‌with‌F‌ ernand‌‌Braudel‌ ‌
■ Narrative‌‌history‌‌=‌‌“histoire‌‌événementielle”‌‌ ‌
⇨ Disregard‌‌of‌‌all‌‌shaping‌‌factors‌‌that‌‌determine,‌‌shape‌‌the‌‌historical‌‌actors‌‌and‌‌their‌‌actions‌ ‌
⇨ Historical‌ ‌time‌‌ignored‌‌the‌‌long-term‌‌view‌‌of‌‌processes‌‌of‌‌change‌‌(e‌ .g.‌‌economic‌‌histories‌‌
that‌‌map‌‌cyclical‌‌rise‌‌and‌‌fall‌‌of‌‌prices‌)‌‌ ‌

● Focus‌‌on‌‌great‌‌men‌ ‌
○ Elitist‌‌histories‌‌ ‌
○ Need‌‌for‌‌social‌‌histories‌‌of‌‌ordinary‌‌people‌‌ ‌
○ Histories‌‌from‌‌below‌‌ ‌
○ Development‌‌of‌‌new‌‌traditions‌‌in‌‌‘60s‌‌(e‌ .g.‌‌women’s‌‌history,‌‌labour‌‌history,‌‌history‌‌of‌‌the‌‌family‌)‌‌ ‌
○ Other‌‌subfields,‌‌including‌‌history‌‌of‌‌media‌‌and‌‌communication‌‌ ‌

1.2.3.‌‌DIALOGUES,‌‌INTERACTIONS‌‌AND‌‌PARADIGM‌‌SHIFTS‌‌ ‌

● Cultural‌‌turn‌‌in‌‌history‌ ‌
○ Initiated‌‌by‌‌social‌‌history‌‌and‌‌cultural‌‌anthropology‌‌in‌‌1980s‌ ‌
○ Look‌‌at‌‌culture‌‌to‌‌understand‌‌historical‌‌accounts‌‌and‌‌events‌‌ ‌
○ How‌‌does‌‌a‌‌given‌‌culture‌‌understand,‌‌talk‌‌about‌‌its‌‌society,‌‌politics,‌‌economy?‌‌ ‌
○ Nation-states‌‌constructed‌‌in‌‌discourses‌‌and‌‌culture‌‌ ‌
○ Studying‌‌rituals,‌‌performances,‌‌recipes‌ ‌

● Challenges‌‌to‌‌history’s‌‌emphasis‌‌on‌‌empiricism‌ ‌
○ From‌‌1960s‌‌onwards‌‌ ‌
○ E.‌‌H.‌‌Carr‌’s‌W
‌ hat‌‌is‌‌History‌‌‌(1961)‌‌ ‌
○ Objectivity‌‌of‌‌historical‌‌accounts?‌‌ ‌
■ Historian‌‌is‌‌subject‌‌of‌‌a‌‌given‌‌period‌‌and‌‌time,‌‌shapes‌‌interpretations‌ ‌
○ Objectivity‌‌of‌‌primary‌‌sources?‌‌ ‌
■ Infused‌‌with‌‌meaning‌‌ ‌
○ Is‌‌every‌‌history‌‌then‌‌relative?‌‌ ‌
■ Middle-of-the-road‌‌approach‌‌=‌‌history‌‌is‌‌a‌‌continuous‌‌process‌‌of‌‌interaction‌‌between‌‌the‌‌
historian‌‌and‌‌his‌‌facts,‌‌an‌‌unending‌‌dialogue‌‌between‌‌the‌‌present‌‌and‌‌the‌‌past‌‌(p.35)‌ ‌
○ Reflexivity‌‌and‌‌a‌‌strong‌‌awareness‌‌of‌‌the‌‌historical‌‌context‌‌ ‌

● Decolonising,‌‌dewesternising,‌‌and‌‌rethinking‌‌history‌ ‌
○ Focus‌‌on‌‌white‌‌men‌‌and‌‌Western‌‌histories‌‌ ‌
○ Subfield‌‌of‌‌media‌‌history:‌ ‌
■ Uncritical‌‌application‌‌of‌‌Western‌‌media‌‌theories‌‌on‌‌non-Western‌‌regions‌‌and‌‌countries‌ ‌
■ Refusal‌‌to‌‌explore‌‌non-Western‌‌media‌‌histories‌‌ ‌
○ Koichi‌‌Iwabuchi‌:‌‌it‌‌does‌‌not‌‌mean‌‌that‌‌Western‌‌media‌‌theories‌‌are‌‌useless‌‌ ‌
■ Both‌ ‌the‌ ‌critical‌ ‌interrogation‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌innovative‌ ‌application‌ ‌of‌ ‌theories‌ ‌derived‌ ‌from‌‌
Western‌ ‌experiences‌ ‌remain‌ ‌useful‌ ‌strategies‌ ‌for‌ ‌opening‌ ‌up‌ ‌fresh‌ ‌perspectives‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌‌
analysis‌‌of‌‌non-Western‌‌experiences‌‌(2010).‌ ‌
2‌ ‌

, 2.‌‌HISTORIES‌‌OF‌‌MEDIA‌‌AND‌‌COMMUNICATION‌ ‌

2.1.‌‌HISTORIES‌‌OF‌‌COMMUNICATION‌‌(SCANNELL)‌‌ ‌

● Communication‌‌>‌‌media‌‌ ‌
● Difference‌‌of‌‌historical‌‌scale:‌‌oral‌‌and‌‌written‌‌communication‌‌precedes‌‌media‌ ‌
● All‌‌human‌‌societies‌‌have‌‌spoken‌‌language‌‌(sound?),‌‌but‌‌not‌‌all‌‌developed‌‌a‌‌written‌‌language‌‌(traces?)‌‌ ‌
● Historians‌‌will‌‌explore‌‌the‌‌transformations‌‌and‌‌relations‌‌ ‌
● What‌ ‌if‌ ‌you‌ ‌only‌ ‌had‌ ‌speech‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌given‌ ‌society?‌ ‌What‌ ‌could‌ ‌you‌ ‌do‌ ‌or‌ ‌not‌ ‌do?‌ ‌What‌ ‌changes‌ ‌when‌‌you‌‌
introduce‌‌written‌‌language?‌‌ ‌


○ E.g.‌‌How‌‌did‌‌the‌‌Japanese‌‌society‌‌develop‌‌its‌‌ideographic‌‌systems‌‌of‌‌language?‌ ‌

■ Japan:‌‌came‌‌into‌‌contact‌‌with‌‌Chinese‌‌characters‌‌around‌‌the‌‌1st‌‌Century‌‌ ‌
■ No‌‌Japanese‌‌written‌‌language‌‌before‌‌its‌‌introduction‌‌ ‌
■ Assumed‌‌to‌‌be‌‌imported‌‌by‌‌Chinese‌‌people‌‌living‌‌in‌‌Japan‌‌ ‌
■ 7th‌‌Century:‌‌using‌‌Chinese‌‌characters‌‌to‌‌represent‌‌Japanese‌‌spoken‌‌language‌‌ ‌
■ Man'yōgana,‌‌and‌‌originally‌‌used‌‌to‌‌record‌‌poetry‌ ‌


● Focus‌‌on‌‌Harold‌‌Innis‌‌and‌‌Marshall‌‌McLuhan‌ ‌
● Synoptic‌‌approach:‌‌synopsis‌‌of‌‌historical‌‌events‌‌that‌‌took‌‌place‌‌within‌‌large‌‌time‌‌spans‌‌and‌‌that‌‌embrace‌‌a‌‌
‘global’‌‌view‌‌of‌‌history‌ ‌
● External‌‌factors‌‌determine‌‌scale‌‌and‌‌scope‌‌of‌‌human‌‌agency‌‌rather‌‌than‌‌seeing‌‌humans‌‌as‌‌historical‌‌agents‌‌ ‌
● Impact‌‌of‌‌technologies‌‌on‌‌societies‌‌and‌‌people‌‌ ‌
● Technologies:‌‌far‌‌from‌‌neutral,‌‌co-construct‌‌how‌‌they‌‌are‌‌used‌‌or‌‌what‌‌they‌‌mean‌‌in‌‌society‌ ‌
● Harold‌‌Innis‌:‌‌communication‌‌in‌‌ancient‌‌societies‌ ‌

Only‌‌speech?‌ ‌ Written‌‌language‌ ‌

○ Small,‌‌nomadic‌‌or‌‌pastoral‌‌communities‌‌ ‌ ○ Recording‌‌social‌‌memory‌ ‌
○ Consequence‌‌of‌‌face-to-face‌‌interaction‌ ‌ ○ Expansion‌‌over‌‌time‌‌and‌‌space‌ ‌
○ Social‌‌memory‌‌is‌‌transmitted‌‌orally‌ ‌ ○ Political‌‌and‌‌economic‌‌power‌ ‌
○ Literacy:‌‌education,‌‌control,‌‌distinction‌‌ ‌


● Marshall‌‌McLuhan‌:‌‌communication‌‌in‌‌modern‌‌societies‌ ‌
○ Impact‌‌printing‌‌(late‌‌15th‌‌Century)‌‌on‌‌manuscript‌‌culture‌ ‌
○ Modernisation‌‌of‌‌Europe‌‌in‌‌16th‌‌Century‌‌linked‌‌to‌‌spread‌‌of‌‌books‌ ‌
○ Knowledge‌‌communities‌‌based‌‌on‌‌print‌ ‌
○ 20th‌‌Century:‌‌electronic‌‌media‌‌as‌‌‘rescuers’‌‌of‌‌oral‌‌communication‌ ‌
○ Global‌‌ramifications:‌‌altering‌‌and‌‌reducing‌‌of‌‌time‌‌and‌‌space‌ ‌
○ ⇒ ⇒
Global‌‌capitalism‌‌ ‌‌global‌‌culture‌‌ ‌‌global‌‌village‌ ‌
○ McLuhan:‌‌critical‌‌of‌‌this‌‌advancement‌‌or‌‌not?‌‌ ‌




3‌ ‌

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