On Writing and Literacy Linguistic Anthropology

Writing Systems Writing and symbolism… What is writing?… Universal symbols? Arbitrary symbols? What is writing?… How does writing work?… Kinds of systems… Analyzing writing systems… Developing/having writing… Literacy and representation… The ethnography of writing….

What is Writing? Graphic representation of language Recording language by visible marks Symbols that convey thought System of storage and retrieval Generally considered secondary to speech Complete vs. partial writing systems Complete: any and all thoughts and words Partial: limited in what they can convey.

Khipus A special case Tying knots into cords Calendrical? Economic? Historical data? May be a full-blown writing system.

What Does it Mean to Have Writing? Association with “civilization” Does an introduced writing system “count?” The Lahu example Learning to read and write Defining literacy Using what writing system? Defining correctness Night v. nite Writing and representation….

Writing and Representation Entextualizing speech Getting words onto paper Questions of representation Rapid speech Dialectical speech couahfee; warsh, crick gonna - goin’ - gon’ - gwine

On Literacy What does it mean to be literate? kinds of literacy: print, map, computer Defining literacy Literacy as technology Literacy as practice Written records v. oral traditions Making things “permanent”

Writing vs. Speaking Literacy and linguistic awareness Writing “changes the way we think about language” The ethnography of reading/writing How does reading/writing function in a culture?

Writing vs. Speaking What kinds of things are read/written? Letters, cards, lecture notes, PowerPoint slides Ideas about reading/writing When is handwriting preferred to typing? And vice versa Condolence letters, form letters, job applications.

Literacy and Power Issues of access Who should read/write? Issues of colonialism Destroying Mayan writings Introducing “book authority” in New Guinea

Literacy and Power Reforming scripts Issues of standardization Dialects and politics Issues of reform Changing spellings Americanizing English Reforming scripts Nationalism and orthography in Ukraine Script change in Turkey.

Issues of Power & Preference Orality (remember your reading?) Is the written form the “standard” form? Who provides the “standard”? What – ultimately – is language?