Second Orality

I. THE SECOND ORALITY

In his book, Orality and Literacy: Technologizing the Word, Walter J. Ong examines the transformation in consciousness which occurs when oral cultures become chirographic or writing based. By oral culture, we mean, a culture that rely on communicating purely an oral-based and has not been exposed to written communication. It has two forms: primary orality and residual orality. Primary orality refers to language and its use in both thought and speech that exists completely outside of the knowledge of writing. Residual orality, on the other hand, refers to a language that has been exposed to writing but has not completely incorporated it into daily use. Ong had put emphasis more on primary oral culture on the aspect on how human consciousness reacts when oral cultures are shifted to chirographic-based form of language. He took side on oral culture by defending its value and importance as compared to that of written-based language. In addition to pinpointing fundamental differences in the thought of processes of the two types of culture, Ong also had mentioned an emerging form of language culture he dubbed as ‘second orality’. This second orality combines the elements of chirographic (i.e writing) and orality modes but practically uses new technologies in communicating. According to him, the arrival of electronic media has led to a change in our thinking. He has foreseen a society that is more engross in spoken words than written words. Ong had drawn his conclusion primarily on the non-linear structure of an oral culture, which is also to be found in the structure of the internet, for instance. What is also interesting to note here is that Ong made a presumption that the 21st century will become a market of ‘interactivity’ – a place where words (spoken, read, and thought) stream from the screen to the page, from virtual to actual and whose information speed is by far exceeding what McLuhan predicted more than forty years ago. Ong also added that the ‘second orality’ will be a period in which the principles of both and literary culture will coalesce.
This Second Orality also provides us a handful of implications from the human individual thinking and his social interaction to the development of his languages. With the growing opportunities provided to us by the electronic and mainstream media, people are becoming more independent in terms of acquiring new learning, in sharing information and expanding its horizon through its active involvement in different virtual activities. In other words, second orality liberates human from his ideals and actions. Meanwhile, Ong also suggested that people in oral cultures live in close, intimate connection with their environment and with each other. This ‘collectivism’ way of thinking in oral culture was later transformed to ‘individualism’ as reading or writing is commonly an individual activity. Second Orality likewise will generate a strong group sense but will be much more global oriented. This is a case where internet chatting, email, voicemail and social networking become a commonplace for everybody to communicate and to social interact and also to identify themselves as active member in this ‘global village.’ What is also interesting to note here is the way people interact with the spoken and written word now that second orality prevails in the modern world. In print culture we gather news at distance, in an oral tradition people tell about happenings in person. In second orality, people are not a passive player but “contributes to the work in performance. The listener is author, scarcely less than the performer is author (Paul Zumthor, in Fowler 1994). It goes to show that people can freely interact and to intervene in a discourse albeit written or spoken. Since it is participatory, people can verify, add or question information in any forms (documents or video) that will be included in a body of knowledge thus, making it more reliable and accurate. On the other hand, second orality will not only bring positive development in human thinking and to society but as well as the negative consequences. Since people are now immersed with using modern technologies, too much exposure & consumption in it could lead to a destructive effect. It is feared that more people (even literate people) will not engage into reading anymore since it is replaced with modern mode of learning (books versus audio-books and classroom vs. virtual setting). There is a contention also that second orality changes the uses of our language. I am referring those languages that are used in the Internet that for some are quite difficult to comprehend. And lastly, second orality is castigated because it promotes gap to individual member of society since more will be convenient to communicate via phone or email instead of a face-to-face contact which is more personal and intimate than communicating virtually.
To recapitulate and to give light to the topic, second orality seemed to be in effect today and indeed the changes that Ong had mentioned are now taking place. Second Orality emerged because we anticipate it to happen but more so because human continue to embrace to many changes of his environment brought about by cultural and technological developments.



Second Orality
(1) Dekker, Annet. Language in Art. (Available online at http://www.montevideo.nl/en/nieuws/detail.php?id=1&archief=ja&showjaar=2002&beginjaar)
(2) Fowler, Robert M., 'How the Secondary Orality of the Electronic Age Can
Awaken Us to the Primary Orality of Antiquity or What Hypertext Can Teach Us About the Bible with Reflections on the Ethical and Political Issues of the Electronic Frontier', http://www2.bw.edu/~fowler, 1994
(3) Ong, Walter, Orality and Literacy: The Technologizing of the Word,
Methuen &Co. Ltd., 1982 (reprinted by Routlegde, London & New York)