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Jack Goody

Behaviour and Literacy, 4-10

This article argues from a perspective that tries to transcend the historical, social, economical specificity of the notion of ‚law’. As a more general term the term “jural behaviour” is suggested, especially for oral societies. On this basis, the author asks for the relation of literacy and law or jural behaviour respectively. As the comparative overview of historical and anthropological cases proves, literacy leads to extension of forms of behaviour geographically, it enables social mobility, it causes formalisation, and it leads to universalisation.

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