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Re: [xmca] Cultural memory



Yes, that is interesting, Eric. Do you know *how* they do it? Is it just by how they raise their children?
Andy

ERIC.RAMBERG@spps.org wrote:
Hey Andy:

I don't know if this is exactly in line with what you are thinking but in St. Paul there is a large population of Hmong (mountain people of Laos) that have transplanted here. They did not have a written language but their cultural are still extremely strong (marriage at a young age, long drawn out funerals, tending animals (I have been to houses in St. Paul where chickens are kept in the house), gardening. Is this along the lines of your thinking?

eric



From:        Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net>
To:        "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Date:        10/14/2011 06:54 PM
Subject:        [xmca] Cultural memory
Sent by:        xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu
------------------------------------------------------------------------



I need some help. I am having a discussion with a supporter of Robert
Brandom, who was at ISCAR, but is not an Activity Theorist. on the
question of cultural memory.

One of my criticisms of Robert Brandom is that he does not theorise any
place for mediation in his theory of normativity. He supposes that norms
are transmitted and maintained down the generations by word of mouth
(taken to be an unmediated expression of subjectivity), and artefacts
(whether texts, tools, buildings, clothes, money) play no essential role
in this.

I disagree but I cannot persuade my protagonist.

I challenged him to tell me of a (nonlierate) indigenous people who
managed to maintain their customs even after being removed from their
land. My protagonist responded by suggesting the Hebrews, but of course
the Hebrews had the Old Testament. Recently on xmca we had the same
point come up and baseball culture was suggested, and I responded that I
didn't think baseball-speak could be maintained without baseball bats,
balls, pitches, stadiums, radios, uniforms and other artefacts used in
the game.

Am I wrong? Can anyone point to a custom maintained over generations
without the use of arefacts (including land and texts as well as tools,
but allowing the spoken word)?

Andy
--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
Joint Editor MCA: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/hmca20/18/1
Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/ <http://home.mira.net/%7Eandy/>
Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857 <http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857>

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--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Andy Blunden*
Joint Editor MCA: http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/hmca20/18/1
Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/
Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857

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