Memory in Oral Traditions: The Cognitive Psychology of Epic, Ballads, and Counting-out Rhymes

by David C. Rubin

Overview

Long studied by anthropologists, historians, and linguists, oral traditions have provided a wealth of fascinating insights into unique cultural customs that span the history of humankind. In this groundbreaking work, cognitive psychologist David C. Rubin offers for the first time an accessible, comprehensive examination of what such traditions can tell us about the complex inner workings of human memory. Focusing in particular on their three major forms of organization—theme, imagery, and sound pattern—Rubin proposes a model of recall, and uses it to uncover the mechanisms of memory that underlie genres such as counting-out rhymes, ballads, and epics. The book concludes with an engaging discussion of how conversions from oral to written communication modes can predict how cutting-edge computer technologies will affect the conventions of future transmissions. Throughout, Rubin presents the results of important original research as well as new perspectives on classical subjects. Splendidly written and farsighted, Memory in Oral Traditions will be eagerly read by students and researchers in areas as diverse as cognitive psychology, literary studies, classics, and cultural anthropology.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195082111
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	03/30/1995
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	9.24(w) x 6.38(h) x 1.31(d)
Lexile:	1370L (what's this?)

About the Author

Duke University

Table of Contents

1. Introduction2. The Representation of Themes in Memory3. Imagery4. Sound5. Combining Constraints6. The Transmission of Oral Traditions7. Basic Observations on Remembering8. A Theory of Remembering for Oral Traditions9. Epic and Formulaic Theory10. Counting-out Rhymes11. North Carolina Ballads12. Discussion

Editorial Reviews

"Rubin writes clearly and has organized a mass of material, presenting it both minutely and conceptually. Cognitive psychologists and those who work in relevant specialized areas will find the book of interest..." — A Journal of Reviews and Commentary in Mental Health

"This is a challenging, interdisciplinary book that promises to have a ripple effect far beyond its home discipline of cognitive psychology....It has enormous implications for the more than one hundred oral traditions that have received specialist treatment over the past few decades, as well as for literary studies, folklore, and anthropology more generally. Dr. Rubin has brought cognitive psychology into a wholly unprecedented dialogue with studies in oral tradition. The result is a truly new perspective on memory and the processes of oral tradition that reinterprets the work of Milman Perry, Albert Lord, and others in an extremely productive way. Not only does Rubin make the psychological view understandable for the layperson, but he manages to reprise the Parry-Lord research in just as clear and up-to-date a manner." —John Miles Foley, William H. Byler Distinguished Professor of English and Classical Studies, University of Missouri

"This is a great book. Not just 'important' or 'fascinating' but great; a very Parthenon of a book."—Roger Brown, John Lindsley Professor of Psychology in Memory of William James, Harvard University

"Filled with fascinating and important insights about how memory really works in the field....This work dramatically enhanced my understanding of 'knowledge in the world'." —Donald A. Norman, Apple Computer, Inc., and University of California, San Diego (Emeritus)

"The beauty of interdisciplinary scholarship is the possibility of novel contributions that enrich both fields. Rubin's merger of cognitive psychology and oral history clarifies and advances knowledge in both areas. . .stands on its own while inviting continued examination of other oral transmissions such as humor and urban legends." —Choice

From the Publisher