WRIT 119 SC - A Genealogy of Writing

A cross-cultural and interdisciplinary history, this course will investigate what writing does for humanbeings: as a species, as a community, and as individuals. We?ll begin with the economic and cultural origins of writing. Our case study will be the evolution of Chinese graphs, the invention of printing in China, and its spread westward. We?ll then examine studies of the early modern printing press in Europe, the growth of literacy, and its consequences for the period?s colonial encounters between literate and non-literate societies. Next, we?ll explore modern writing technologies such as pencils and computers. We?ll conclude by reading contemporary findings on the relation between writing and cognitive development, including education and psychological healing.

Course Credit: 1.0

Please refer to the course schedule on the Scripps Portal for current course offerings and details.