A culture which is not touched by communication of alphabetic writing is known as a culture of:
Correct Answer :
Primary Orality
Solution :
The correct answer is Primary Orality.
To understand why, let us break this concept down step by step, tracing its meaning and theoretical roots.
Step 1: Understanding the Question
The question asks us to identify the term that describes a culture which has had no contact whatsoever with alphabetic writing — a culture that communicates entirely through spoken word, gesture, memory, and oral tradition, with no influence from written language.
Step 2: Who Coined "Primary Orality"?
The term Primary Orality was introduced by the scholar Walter J. Ong in his landmark 1982 work, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word. Ong used this concept to distinguish between cultures that have never encountered writing and those that have been shaped — even partially — by it.
Step 3: What is Primary Orality?
A culture of Primary Orality is one that is entirely oral in nature. In such a culture:
- Knowledge is passed down exclusively through spoken word, storytelling, song, and memorisation.
- There is no alphabet, no script, no written text of any kind.
- Thought patterns, social structures, and memory are shaped purely by the spoken word.
- Information cannot be stored externally (like in books), so it must be memorised and performed within the community.
Step 4: Ruling Out the Other Options
Literacy — This refers to the ability to read and write. It is the direct opposite of what the question is describing. A literate culture is one that has embraced alphabetic writing.
Typography — This refers to the art and technique of arranging printed text. It is deeply tied to the printing press and written/printed communication, making it the furthest from the concept described in the question.
Exclusivity — This is a general term meaning the state of being limited to a specific group. It has no specific meaning in the theory of communication or media studies that relates to orality or writing. It is a distractor option.
Step 5: Why "Primary" in Primary Orality?
The word primary is crucial. Ong also described Secondary Orality — a form of orality that emerges in cultures that have been touched by writing and print but then return to oral forms through technologies like radio, television, and telephones. Secondary orality is therefore dependent on writing and technology.
Primary Orality, by contrast, is original and untouched — it exists before and without any influence of alphabetic writing. This perfectly matches the description in the question: "not touched by communication of alphabetic writing."
Conclusion:
A culture that has had absolutely no contact with alphabetic writing and relies solely on spoken communication for transmitting knowledge, culture, and tradition is called a culture of Primary Orality. This term, grounded in Ong's theory of communication, is the precise and academically accepted answer to this question.
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