Stephen,
I am going to try very hard to not apologize or defend Shlain in this
conversation, but to purpose an attitude toward the wanderings cross
country of specialists in fields other than social science, cultural
psychology, CHAT, etc. It seems to me that we become very territorial
and that it would be useful for us to learn what we can from the
insights of specialists in other fields.
Much of what Shlain says about the influence of the alphabet can be read
as testimony to the power of culture (and all CHAT assumes that to
imply). Indeed, he is talking about the
internalization/assimilation/modes of action engaged in by those who
promote(d) alphabetic writing over iconic information.
It would be fun to continue this discussion once more people are
familiar with the text, so maybe we have to wait for another day.
Molly
Stephen Gourlay wrote:
>I agree with Molly that Shlain probably knows a lot about the brain. But
>when he says: "I believe the right hemisphere (of both men and women
>who are right-handed) processes tasks traditionally female. The left
>hemisphere (of both men and women who are right-handed) processes
>tasks traditionally male." (see the interview on
>(http://www.penguinputnam.com/static/rguides/us/alphabet_versus_god
>dess.html) then I feel strongly entitled to say - Hey! What does this
>brain specialist know about culture, social organization at the like? At
>least he says "I believe that ..." but this belief involves very large
>assumption. What tasks, pray, (beyond a very small number) are
>'traditionally female' or 'traditionally male' in all societies?
>
>Stephen
>
>
>
>
>Date sent: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 20:49:22 -0800
>From: Molly Freeman <mollyfreeman@telis.org>
>To: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>Subject: Re: from a lefty
>Forwarded by: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>Send reply to: xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>Date forwarded: Thu, 19 Dec 2002 20:42:55 -0800 (PST)
>
>
>
>>I certainly agree that it is easy to place Shlain 'beyond the pale,'
>>however, as a neurosurgeon it seems to me he knows somewhat more about
>>the brain than do we, don't you think? I don't think it is necessarily
>>'reductionist' to provide a different lens, which he admits has its
>>limitations.
>>
>>M
>>
>>Mike Cole wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>Molly-- Having just sat through a course on development of the brain,
>>>and perhaps because I am strongly left dominant, I find the sort of
>>>reductionist left/right brain thesis such as put forth in the
>>>literacy and the goddess book less than compelling.
>>>
>>>ditto "the medium is the message" reductionism. As a person who,
>>>gulp, started a comm department and believes in the inflection of
>>>human experience by the media through which we are/have been
>>>constituted, I have a strong affinity for being media inclusive in my
>>>trhinking, which is to say, culture inclusive. But again, taken to
>>>the extreme, the ideas can turn vicious or at least vacuuous.
>>>
>>>Nice photo on the cover though and the general thesis certainly fits
>>>into a course on mediational theories of mind! mike
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>Stephen Gourlay, PhD; Principal Lecturer, Director of Doctoral Training,
>Kingston Business School, Kingston University, Kingston Hill, Kingston upon Thames, KT2 7LB, UK
>
>
>
>
>
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