Minor Knowledge and Microhistory
Manuscript Culture in the Nineteenth Century
By David Olafsson, Sigurdur Gylfi Magnusson | Publisher: Taylor and Francis
About the book
This book studies everyday writing practices among ordinary people in a poor rural society in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Using the abundance of handwritten material produced, disseminated and consumed some centuries after the advent of print as its research material, the book's focus is on its day-to-day usage and on \"minor knowledge,\" i.e., text matter originating and rooted primarily in the everyday life of the peasantry.
The focus is on the history of education and communication in a global perspective. Rather than engaging in comparing different countries or regions, the authors seek to view and study early modern and modern manuscript culture as a transnational (or transregional) practice, giving agency to its ordinary participants and attention to hitherto overlooked source material. Through a microhistorical lens, the authors examine the strength of this aspect of popular culture and try to show it in a wider perspective, as well as asking questions about the importance of this development for the continuity of the literary tradition. The book is an attempt to explain “the nature of the literary culture” in general – how new ideas were transported from one person to another, from community to community, and between regions; essentially, the role of minor knowledge in the development of modern men.
Editions of Minor Knowledge and Microhistory
- EBook
- ISBN 9781317607816
- PDF
- ISBN 9781317607823
Read an Excerpt
This book studies everyday writing practices among ordinary people in a poor rural society in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Using the abundance of handwritten material produced, disseminated and consumed some centuries after the advent of print as its research material, the book's focus is on its day-to-day usage and on \"minor knowledge,\" i.e., text matter originating and rooted primarily in the everyday life of the peasantry.
The focus is on the history of education and communication in a global perspective. Rather than engaging in comparing different countries or regions, the authors seek to view and study early modern and modern manuscript culture as a transnational (or transregional) practice, giving agency to its ordinary participants and attention to hitherto overlooked source material. Through a microhistorical lens, the authors examine the strength of this aspect of popular culture and try to show it in a wider perspective, as well as asking questions about the importance of this development for the continuity of the literary tradition. The book is an attempt to explain “the nature of the literary culture” in general – how new ideas were transported from one person to another, from community to community, and between regions; essentially, the role of minor knowledge in the development of modern men.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Minor Knowledge and Microhistory about?
This book studies everyday writing practices among ordinary people in a poor rural society in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Using the abundance of handwritten material produced, disseminated and consumed some centuries after the advent of print as its research material, the book's focus is on its day-to-day usage and on \"minor knowledge,\" i.e., text matter originating and rooted primarily in the everyday life of the peasantry.
The focus is on the history of education and communication in a global perspective. Rather than engaging in comparing different countries or regions, the authors seek to view and study early modern and modern manuscript culture as a transnational (or transregional) practice, giving agency to its ordinary participants and attention to hitherto overlooked source material. Through a microhistorical lens, the authors examine the strength of this aspect of popular culture and try to show it in a wider perspective, as well as asking questions about the importance of this development for the continuity of the literary tradition. The book is an attempt to explain “the nature of the literary culture” in general – how new ideas were transported from one person to another, from community to community, and between regions; essentially, the role of minor knowledge in the development of modern men.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Minor Knowledge and Microhistory?
History and Archaeology > History > History: specific events and topics > Social and cultural history
Where can I read a sample of Minor Knowledge and Microhistory?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781317607816
Is Minor Knowledge and Microhistory part of a series, and can it be read as a standalone?
Yes it is a part of series Routledge Studies in Cultural History
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Minor Knowledge and Microhistory?
David Olafsson, Sigurdur Gylfi Magnusson
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Minor Knowledge and Microhistory is available as ebook(ISBN 9781317607816) and pdf(ISBN 9781317607823)