The Classical/Medieval World II & III
- Global Picture: "Afro-Eurasian Medieval Culture"
- Includes: Islamic Sub-Saharan Africa to Christian Europe
to Islamic Eurasia (extends to South East Asia), Buddhist, Hindu, and Chinese
Civilizations- all have limited access to books
- Hierarchies- Some powerful regional centers connected
to international trade and exchange
- International Languages- Priority given to Latin, Greek,
Arabic, Sanskrit, Chinese. The languages of 'learning,' and international
trade.
- Local Picture: Villages- 'World without Maps'
- People did not know their neighbors/outside world well
- little travel; roads not safe; go in groups;
- only pilgrimage; and the world of traders
- outside information inaccurate, second-hand, rumor
- 'center' oriented; from the hearth/town square
to unknown.
- 'Borders' were not of same interest
- Rules is not clearly determined, multi-leveled
- Love of details, fine objects- few of them.
- Time- no clocks so time cyclical/eternal or highly local
- Classical/Medieval World & emerging world of Cyberspace?
(more later)
- International- only a few international languages on
net; transnational corporations set up vast (centralizing) networks
which elude local control/knowledge
- Central Governments role changing- still has symbolic
role in remaining mass media, regulatory role, defense and enforcement
roles
- Localism- people get their information directly, fragmentation,
overlapping rules; what is the best information?
- Key differences- more global travel, more global/local
information at all levels; communities self-sufficient in a different way.
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