This article
report is on Chapter One of A History of
the Book in America. The chapter title is A Framework for the History of
Publishing and Reading in the United States,
1880-1940. The chapter is co-authored by Janice Radway and Carl F. Kaestle.
Janice Radway is an American literary and cultural studies scholar. (3) Carl F.
Kaestle is University Professor and Professor of Education, History, and Public
Policy emeritus at Brown University. Kaestle also worked here at the University
of Wisconsin as the William F. Vilas Research Professor. Kaestle has a history
of writing about the social and economical results publishing has on American
culture. (1) The University of North Carolina Press published the book in 2009.
The book has very praising reviews from Humanities Magazine, The New England
Quarterly, and the Journal of Scholarly Publishing. (2) There is an interesting
book report by a Michigan State University professor named Michael Stamm. Stamm
explains the importance of the massive volume of publication during the time
period. He touches on the diverse outlooks that resulted in the influx of
material as well. (4) The intended audience is the reader investigating
communication, especially reading and publishing in the 1880s-1940s.
The article is
focused on reading and publishing, but also gives a good insight on the
communication aspect of the world. It puts a strong emphasis on the time period
because it was a huge transitional point in American culture. During this time
period, shifts in technology and the introduction of incorporation were large
turning points, and publishing thrived along side of them. The article explains
the “Culture of print,” and how printed text became one of the most important
and influential forms of communication in the 1880s-1940s. Kaestle and Radway
also touch on the power of who controls publishing. Control over the
information thousands of people will be reading can control the opinions of
those who read it. In the rise of publishing came the rise of advertisement. In
a time of incorporation, these companies started advertising in publications
such as magazines or newspapers. The co-authors also explained how illiteracy
rates declined greatly over this time, because it was becoming clear that
illiteracy is a huge liability. During this “Culture of print,” there was a
massive influx of published material forced into distribution. Kaestle and
Radway focus on diversification in the chapter and ask the question whether the
influx of publication led to cultural diversification or not. I believe that it
did. With the technological advancements, especially transportation, it allowed
for the views and opinions of one individual to cross the country on paper.
This gave way for an individual to read about the many diverse backgrounds of
the people publishing material. As one observes these outlooks it enables them
to formulate their own opinion, and this leads to a large diversified culture.
Sources
(1)Three Professors among new faculty members.
(1995, January 19). Retrieved September 8, 2014.
(2)The University of North Carolina Press.
(2014, June 1). Retrieved September 8, 2014.
(3)Radway, J. (2014, January 1). Janice Radway.
Retrieved September 8, 2014.
(4)Stamm, M. (2011, September 1). Project MUSE
- A History of the Book in America, Volume 4-Print in Motion: The Expansion of
Publishing and Reading in the United States, 1880-1940 (review). Retrieved
September 8, 2014.
No comments:
Post a Comment