Anthropology of Writing

Professor David Barton is Director of the Lancaster Literacy Research Centre, Lancaster University, UK Dr Ute Papen is Senior Lecturer in Literacy Studies at Lancaster University, UK.

"An invigorating collection. With fresh terminology and fascinating cross-cultural perspectives, this book takes contemporary literacy studies to a higher plane. Its timing couldn't be better."

• Part 1: The anthropology of writing: writing as social and cultural practice; 1. What is the 'anthropology of writing'? David Barton and Uta Papen (both University of Lancaster, UK); 2. Acts of writing: when writing is doing, Beatrice Fraenke (EHESS, France); Part 2: Writing in the workplace - institutional demands; 3. Updating a biomedical database. David Pontille (EHESS, France); 4. Balancing demands from system and situation: literacy practices in a childcare workplace, Karin Tusting (University of Lancaster, UK); 5. Tracing cows: practical and administrative logics in tension, Nathalie Joly (EHESS, France); Part 3: Writing by individuals and institutions; 6. Vernacular spaces on the web. David Barton (University of Lancaster, UK); 7. Keeping a personal note-book in rural Mali: Practice, genre and the materiality of writing, Aissatou Mbodj-Pouye (EHESS, France); 8. Writing and being written about: patients as writers and recipients of health texts. Uta Papen (University of Lancaster, UK); Part 4: Historical perspectives; 9. Using Edwardian postcards to study ordinary writing, Julia Gillen and Nigel Hall (University of Lancaster, UK); 10. Legal and illegal forms of public writing in 17th century France, Anne Beroujon (UPMF Grenoble, France); 11. Writing illness: the diary of a doctor treating morphine addict in late nineteenth century France, Philippe Artieres (EHESS, France); Afterword: Current themes in the anthropology of writing. Brian Street (King's College London, UK); Bibliography; Index.