Table of Contents
Foreword ix
Preface xv
Section 1 Foundational Questions 1
Chapter 1 What Is Media Ecology? 3
Media Ecology as Metaphor 4
Media Ecology as Theory Group 5
Media Ecology as Bibliography (Great Books) 5
Media Ecology as the Study of Media as Environments 6
Media Ecology as Discipline 7
Media Ecology as Metameme 8
Media Ecology as Perspective 8
Chapter 2 What Are the Primary Themes of Media Ecology? 17
Consciousness 17
Technology 23
Change 29
Balance 32
Environment 33
Culture 36
Interconnectedness 40
Chapter 3 What Are the Margins of Media Ecology? 49
The Philosophy of Technology 50
Computer-Mediated Communication 53
Medium Theory 55
Mediatization 57
Section 2 Canonical Figures 63
Chapter 4 Marshall McLuhan-Canada's and the Field's Intellectual Comet 65
Religious Influence 67
Mentors', Colleagues', and Students' Influence 69
Scholarly Contributions 71
Heuristics 73
Chapter 5 Walter J. Ong: Voice of Consciousness in Orality-Literacy 81
Geographic Influence 82
Jesuit Influence 82
Scholarly Contributions 84
Dialogic Orientation 85
Heuristics 86
Chapter 6 Jacques Ellul: Prophet of La Technique 95
Influences 95
Scholarly Contributions 96
Heuristics 100
Section 3 Orality-Literacy Studies 105
Chapter 7 Orality-Literacy Studies 107
Eric Havelock: Hound of the Homeric State of Mind 109
Jack Goody: Domesticator of the Savage Mind 114
Elizabeth Eisenstein: Historian of the Printing Press 117
Section 4 Technology Studies 127
Chapter 8 Technology Studies 129
Neil Postman: "Postman" of a Field and of a Moral Message 131
Lewis Mumford: Postindustrial Prophet and Field Forerunner 140
Albert Borgmann: Detective of Device Design and Philosopher of Focal Practices 148
Section 5 Culture Studies 159
Chapter 9 Culture Studies 161
James Carey: Restoring Conversation and Ritual in Communication 162
Edmund Snow Carpenter: "Phantom" of the Field 169
Camille Paglia: Fiery Phenom and Culture Critic 174
Section 6 Bias Studies 183
Chapter 10 Bias Studies 185
Harold Adams Innis: Herald of Communication Studies 186
Daniel Joseph Boorstin: Surveyor of Pseudo-Reality 193
Jean Baudrillard: Hyper-Intellectual of the Hyperreal 199
Section 7 Language Studies 209
Chapter 11 Language Studies 211
Alfred Korzybski: Mapping Semantic Environments 212
Susanne Langer: Finding a New Key to Symbolic Transformation 218
Benjamin Lee Whorf: Relating Language to Culture and Cognition 224
Section 8 "Doing" Media Ecology 231
Chapter 12 Doing Media Ecology 233
Multiple Approaches 234
A Roadmap for Doing Media Ecology 239
Springboards for Media Ecological Study 241
Index 249
