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{\*\listoverridetable{\listoverride\listid1\listoverridecount0\ls1}{\listoverride\listid2\listoverridecount0\ls2}{\listoverride\listid1\listoverridecount0\ls3}}{\info{\title The humanities - past, present, future}{\author Niels Ole Finnemann Nielsen}
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\par }{\fs28 \loch\af4\dbch\af4\hich\f4 \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 The humanities - past, present, future\u171\'c7\loch\f4 .
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Berkeley-seminar, March 12, 1999.
\par }\pard \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28 
\par }\pard \qc\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\b\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 I\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 nitial reflections.
\par }{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Niels Ole Finnemann, 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Centre for Cultural Research, 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 University of Aarhus Denmark.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Mail: }{\field\flddirty{\*\fldinst {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  HYPERLINK mailto:finnemann@hum.au.dk }{\fs28 {\*\datafield 
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6d002e00610075002e0064006b000000}}}{\fldrslt {\cs20\fs28\ul\cf2 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 finnemann{\*\bkmkstart _Hlt478957278}@{\*\bkmkend _Hlt478957278}hum.au.dk}}}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4   \endash \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  www.au.dk/cfk}{
\b\fs28 
\par }\pard \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28 
\par }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 1: A perspective on the present landscape.
\par }\pard\plain \s15\qj\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\tx-1440\tx-720\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\tx10800\tx11520\tx12240\tx12960\tx13680\tx14400\tx15120\adjustright 
\fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
If we categorize societies/cultures according to the various sets of media available for the production and circulation of meaning and information, we can identify five main types of information s\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 ocieties.
\par }\pard\plain \qj\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\tx-1440\tx-720\tx720\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\tx10800\tx11520\tx12240\tx12960\tx13680\tx14400\tx15120\adjustright 
\fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 
\par }\pard \qj\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\tx-1440\tx-720\tx284\tx1440\tx2160\tx2880\tx3600\tx4320\tx5040\tx5760\tx6480\tx7200\tx7920\tx8640\tx9360\tx10080\tx10800\tx11520\tx12240\tx12960\tx13680\tx14400\tx15120\adjustright {\fs28\cf1 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
l) \tab Oral societies/cultures mainly based on speech.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 2)\tab Literate cultures (approx. since 5-6000 BC) : mainly based on speech + writing systems comprising primary alphabets and number systems. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 3)\tab Print cultures: mainly based on speech + written t\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 exts + print.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 4) Mass-media cultures: mainly based on speech + written texts + print + analogue electric media (from the electronic telegraph in 1843 to television and video).
\par }\pard \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28\cf1 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 5) Digital media cultures (or second order alphabetic cultures, adding a binary \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
alphabet): mainly based on computers, integrating speech + written texts + print + analogue electric media  into a frame of digital media. (*See note at the end of the paper)
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 According to this scheme we find ourselves in a transition from the 4}{\fs28\cf1\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28\cf1 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  to the 5}{\fs28\cf1\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28\cf1 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  information society. Some media are digitised (eg. textual media:  printed texts are nowadays almost always produced by means of an electronic text) others not yet.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 The radical change in the means of production, communication and storing of meanings, in\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 terpretations, informations  and knowledge \endash  or in short: any kind of symbolic content \endash 
 is only one among a number of significant components in the tran\-sition from the 4}{\fs28\cf1\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28\cf1 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  to the 5}{\fs28\cf1\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28\cf1 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  information society. There is also a restruc\-\-tura\-tion of global inter\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 relations (in the direction of more institutionalised inter\-re\-
lations on both the political, economical and cultural levels) and significant changes in the cultural patterns within many societies (direction: towards more multi\-cultural, multiethnic and m\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 u\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
ltilinguistic societies). As a fourth aspect I would mention the transition from economies oriented towards the fullfillment of material needs to the predominance of middle class economy oriented towards consumption of cultural and often immaterial goods.

\par 
\par }{\i\fs28\cf1 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 2: Where do we find the humanities in this landscape?
\par }{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 A short answer to this question is everywhere \-\endash  and both as a part of what is changed by external influences and as active changing practices.
\par }\pard\plain \s16\fi284\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 The new media matrix, the institutionalisation of global \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 relations, the de\-velop\-\-
ment towards more multicultural, multiethnic and multilinguistic societies, and the development of a consumer-oriented middleclass economy form significant components in a new landscape in which the humanities (inside as well as o
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 u\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 tside of the universities) is a part.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 In the following I assume that the whole enterprise of the humanities is in a proces of significant change both in respect to disciplines, institutional and depar\-temental organisation, methodologies and in respect to 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 social/cultural functions of the humanities. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 In some respects it may be right to reflect this proces as a crisis, while in other respects it seems more appropiate to speak more neutral about signi\-\hich\f4 ficant changes and processes of \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
innovation\u171\'c7\loch\f4 . 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  
\par 
\par {\pntext\pard\plain\s16 \i\fs28\lang1030\dbch\f4 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 3.\tab}}\pard \s16\fi-360\li360\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\jclisttab\tx360{\*\pn \pnlvlbody\ilvl0\ls3\pnrnot0\pndec\pnstart3\pnindent360\pnhang{\pntxta .}}\ls3\adjustright {\i\fs28 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Changes \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 in the social function of the practices of the humanities.
\par }\pard\plain \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Given the above mentioned indicators for the transition from the 4}{\fs28\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  to the 5}{\fs28\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  information society we can expect a significant growth in the demands of competences generated within the humanities 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 in the years to come, while the future of the hitherto dominating \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 Allgemeine Bildungs\u171\'c7\loch\f4 -motif seems more insecure. 
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Among the indicators for this one can mention: 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 l) The above mentioned institutionalisation of international relations and the movement tow\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
ards more multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic societies implies a growing need of professionalised skills in understanding, interpretating and handling of historical, cultural and linguistic differences as well as an general growth in profes
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 s\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 ionalised production and communication of knowledge. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 2) The growing importance of the consumption of cultural goods in the economies (arts, sports, cultural facts and fiction in the various old as well as new media formats, museums, cultural \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
events\u171\'c7\loch\f4 , ent\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 ertainment industry etc. in both high and low level qualities). Socio-cultural basis: that the middle class will demand/consume professionalised services in our \endash  increased \endash 
 leisure time.
\par }\pard\plain \s22\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs28\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 3) The development of digital media reinforces the demand for profe\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 s\-
sionalised competences within the fields of visual and auditive arts as well as lingustic and literary/narrative competences. Competences of the humanities and arts will have a growing importance for the development of genres and narratives of digital m
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
dia (eletronic archives for texts, paintings, pictures, movies, videos; museums; digital audio and television; eletronic news-services; hypertextsystems; virtual reality systems; more or less interactive multimedia systems etc.).
\par }\pard\plain \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 In general one can assume\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4  that the notion \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 information society\u171\'c7\loch\f4 
 indicates that the production/creation/handling of signs and symbols becomes a still more significant part of the handling of things (or in some cases that the handling of signs will be substituted for the handling o\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 f
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  things). 
\par }\pard \fi284\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 If the mechanical paradigm of the engineers was the prototypic compe\-ten\-ce in the industrial society, one may suppose that (less mechanical) inter\-pre\-
tative, communicative and creative competences of the humanities and arts will be a prototypi\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 c paradigm in the 5}{\fs28\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  infor\-mation society.
\par }\pard\plain \s16\fi284\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
However, the tendency towards growth and expansion of immaterial/ symbolic processes is also accompanied by changes in the character of symbolic processes and transactions themselves. Both because of the new matr\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
ice of media and because of changes in social functions: While the humanities formerly in general related more to the educational and public spheres than to private enterprises on the market, the growing demand of the 5}{\fs28\super 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  information society is mainly rela\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 ted to the latter. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 If so, one may wonder whether it will possible at the same time to maintain  - or rather reestablish - the role of  \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 allgemeine Bildung\u171\'c7\loch\f4 
 and orientation towards the maintenance of a cultural system of shared values?
\par 
\par }\pard \s16\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 4. Tensions and con\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 tents of the humanities. 
\par }{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 The transitional processes are manifested in a number of \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 internalised\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4  dichotomies and tensions, such as: traditionalism (or re-traditionalisation or \u187
\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 new-traditionalism\u171\'c7\loch\f4 ) versus avantgardism within the various disciplines; old d\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 isciplines versus new dis\-ci\-\hich\f4 plines; decline of some disciplines and rise of others; \u187\'c8
\loch\f4 \hich\f4 disciplinarity\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4  versus interdisciplinarity; \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 oldtechs\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4  versus \u187\'c8\loch\f4 new\-\hich\f4 techs\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4 ; \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
localists\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4  versus \u187\'c8\loch\f4 inter\-na\-\hich\f4 tionalists\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4 ; the humanities as \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 Wissenschaft\u171\'c7\loch\f4  versus the humaniti\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 s between arts and sciences versus the humanities as rhetorics; modernism ver\-sus postmodernism versus neo\-\hich\f4 modernism versus constructivism versus \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 we-have-never-been-modernists\u171\'c7
\loch\f4  etc. The focus and lines of conflict may vary from university to university a\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 n\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 d \endash  not to forget - from country to country.
\par }\pard \s16\fi284\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 The various \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 humanities centres\u171\'c7\loch\f4 
 established in the 80-es and 90-es are undoubtledly a part of the changes indicated above. In this respect they are primarily a part of an institutional change and intended as in\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
stitutions which facilitates interdisciplinary activities within a preexisting departementalized organisation of the humanities. It seems that some centres are more inclined to define themselves as \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 new\u171\'c7\loch\f4 
 interdisciplinary units existing at the margin of e\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 s\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 tablished disciplines, fo\-\hich\f4 
cusing on questions and domains which are not on the agenda within the existing disciplines, while others tend to define themselves as localised \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 above\u171\'c7\loch\f4 
 the existing disciplines and open for any sort of relation between existing \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 d\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 isciplines. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 Anyway, as institutions the centres belong completely to the \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 new\u171\'c7\loch\f4 -side, while the prac\-\hich\f4 tices which they institutionalize may belong to the \u187\'c8\loch\f4 
\hich\f4 old\u171\'c7\loch\f4 -side just as well. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Maybe the positions taken by individual scholars in most cases will also be a\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  mixture of old-side/new-side positions/compo\-
nents? That most scholars are traditionalists in some respects while avantgardists in others? If so, the main distinctions concerning scholarly positions within the humanities today are not those between old v\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 rsus new-components, but between differently composed blendings of old/new components. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 (This blend structure seem to be equivalent to the suggestion that there is a general change in the constitution of the self from the modern concept of the self as a ho\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
mogenous, authoritative and selfcontrolling individual to the post- (as well as neo-) modern concept of the self as a heterogeneously composed node which is defined by the participation in a number of different networks (family, gender, age, race,  profes
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 s\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 ion, company, recreational activities, political and other sorts of cultural relationships and valuesystems)).
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 If  this is not completely mistaken one may ask whether this has always been the case or whether it represents a new \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 constitutional\u171\'c7\loch\f4  basis for t\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
he self as well as for the humanities? Would it be reasonable, for instance to describe the 20}{\fs28\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4   cen\-\hich\f4 tury humanities as build on homogeneous \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
nation-state\u171\'c7\loch\f4 -disci\-plines while we are now facing or building a (complex and heterogeneous) network-constitution\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4  consisting of many different \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 local\u171\'c7\loch\f4  connec
\-\hich\f4 tions and dividing lines across the former borderlines between \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 nation\u171\'c7\loch\f4 -disciplines? And if so, what \endash  if anything \-\-\endash  constitutes the hu\-manities as a particular cultural practice? 

\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 I think we need to ask \endash  and\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  discuss this question \endash 
 for at least two reasons: First, because the notions (of complex systems, network, etc) which I use to characterise the present (and near-future) state of the humanities are abstract notions which can be (and actually are) applied
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 to many different phenomena. Hence they cannot be used to denote what makes a particular cultural practice distinct from other kinds of cultural practices.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Secondly, because a transition from strongly defined and delimited disciplines to a mix\-ture of diff\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
erent compositions of interdisplinary practices may lead to a dissolution of consistent practices. It is not easy to see how interdisciplinarity can survive if there are no disciplines. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 In so far we identify ourselves primarily as scholars within a discip\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 line \endash 
 as historians, ethnologists, philosophers, literary critics etc. we are more or less automatically also identified as belonging to the humanities, but only as a weak and additional component which we normally don\rquote 
t not need to describe. (However, t\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 h\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
ere are a number of intruiguing border cases such as: the borderline towards the social sciences: sociologi/ethnology/history and towards the sciences: psychology and health sciences).  If the role of the discipline for the identity of scholars is weakene
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 d\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  one may ask whether the same is the case for the role of humanities in general or whether it is pos\-\hich\f4 
sible or attractive to try to ascribe a more significant and definable role to the humanities as a common frame for a variety of \u187\'c8\loch\f4 interdisplinary activiti\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 s\u171\'c7\loch\f4 ?

\par 
\par }\pard \s16\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 5. Is it  possible and reasonable to discuss \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 what-is\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4  questions as \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
What-is-the-Humanities?\u171\'c7
\par }{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Though I am not completely convinced that discussions of this kind are possible or reasonable, I have to admit that I am often confronted with questions of t\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
his sort not least in my function as director for a centre for cultural research which I tend to define as identical with a centre for research/scholarship within the area of the humanities in general. 
\par }\pard \s16\fi284\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 A main reason for my sceptic attitude is that the ans\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
wer to the question should comprise the whole range cultural practices which we denote as the humanities. It is not easy to see how we should be able to say something about the huma\-ni\-
ties which is both valid and of significance for the whole set of diff\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 rent practices. But this said, I also have to admit that the question won\rquote 
t go away and that I am also confronted with similar questions within my own field (media studies with special emphasis on computers/digital media) because we to a great extent shar\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
 the domain with the various computer science disciplines.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 So, I have decided to give it a try and present a my considerations here. I don\rquote t consider these suggestions to be exclusive. Maybe they represent a very specialised perspective: the humanities as 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 seen from a rather marginal discipline within the humanities and other perspectives may be just as relevant or more relevant.  
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 I have already referred to the inter\-pre\-tative, communicative and creative competences of the humanities and arts as a candidat\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e to be a defining cha\-rac\-te\-
ristic. Here are som other suggestions for what could be considered as par\-ticularities of the humanities \endash  they may be thought of as suggestions to identify a set of paradig\-ma\-tic traits which differs from the engineering p
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 a\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 radigm of the 4th (industrial) information society:
\par \bullet \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  Since the humanities is a \endash  particular \endash  cultural practice studying cultural practices there cannot be a complete distinction between the scholar/observer and the observed. The humanities is by definiti
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 on a self-reflexive cultural practice and there is always a self-referential dimension implied. 
\par \bullet \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  For the phenomena studied within the humanities there will always be a first case, a question of historical origin in time and space. This holds both for any\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
 particular phenomenon (there is a first symbol, a first king, a first novel) and for metastructures (there is a first culture, a first society, a first nation, a first language). There may be more than one first case (eg: more than one in\-ven\-
tion of alp\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 h\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 abets \endash  actually it is assumed that there have been four or five inde\-pendent inventions) but there need to be at least one \endash  whether known or not.
\par \bullet \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  First cases cannot be explained as results of rules on the same level. The first symbol cannot be explaine\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 d as the product of previous symbolic ac\-
tivities. The first culture cannot be explained as result of cultural practices. The rules and laws in cultural processes develops as part of the culture in which they serve as rules and laws, accordingly they may \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 b
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e changed as result of cultural processes within the culture. Permanent invariance does not exist \endash 
 neither as invariance on the level of units nor on the levels of forces or structures. Whether the emergence of cultures can be explained as results of rul\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
s on a lover level, as for instance biological rules, or whether cultures are a result of in\-
cidential processes is not known. However, when a cultural practice is established, it can explain other cultural practices which cannot be explained from a lover\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 level.
\par \bullet \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  While some first cases may stay unique others may become repetitively oc\-
curing and eventually stabilised as customs/habits/social conventions/cultural laws/aesthetic norms and values/political laws. The existence of cultural phenomena and process\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
es, as well as culture itself, is based on the repetitive occurrence of events for which there is an origine - a first case. 
\par \bullet \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  The relation between repetitively occuring phenomena and processes on the one hand and individual/eventually unique events on th\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
e other is a continual and common main theme in all areas of the humanities. For instance the relation between a work and its genre. A genre is constituted as a relation between a num\-
ber of individual works. A new genre is constituted in a process which \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 b\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 egins with a single work in which there is a pattern de\-
viation which is later repeated (and hence identifiable as new pattern) in other works. In this way individual events which occur during the processes as deviations from previously established patter\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 n\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
s may form a point of departure for the establishment of new customs, conventional principles, rules and laws. 
\par \bullet \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  The relation work/genre is prototypic and in some respects similar to the relation: individual historical event/historical proces; individual/\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
family, and individual/society (and in biology: individual /species).
\par \bullet \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  The humanities is concerned with the study of rulegenerating systems which are capable to generate their own  symbol\-systems/means of expression.
\par 
\par }\pard \s16\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 6. What is interdisplinarity. Various\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  forms.
\par }\pard\plain \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 In the fourth information society (dominated by mechanization of the in\-du\-
strial production) we find the humanities organised in a number of clearly separated and more or less selvdefining and selfregulating disciplines more or less identical to t\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
he principle of the nation state. The parallel is essential since the humanities to a very high degree were legitimized as disciplines which provided a common academic \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 Bildung\u171\'c7\loch\f4 
 of the educated part of national societies.
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 The nation state was thought of as\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  an organisation of a homogenous  po\-pu\-lation in respect to \endash  the national - language, literature and culture etc. 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 The idea of the nation state was not solely an idea of internal homo\-genity, on the contrary, it was a principle for a homogeneous organisa\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
tion of global relationships. In the same way one maybe could argue that the academic disciplines were thought of and functioned as the organisation of the interdisciplinary whole of scholarship within the humanities.
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 If the nation state was a predominant\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
 principle for the organisation of the relation between local and global affairs in the fourth information society, the discipline can be described as the predomiant principle for the organisation of interdisciplinary relationships in the same epoch. Thou
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 g\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 h the word \u187\'c8\loch\f4 inter\-\hich\f4 disciplinarity\u171\'c7\loch\f4  were not used much before 1960-es and 1970-es inter\-disci\-
plinarity as practice is probably as old as scholarship itself, as it is indicated in the following list of various interdisciplinary practices:
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 l. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Complementariti\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 es}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
: As exchange of results between disciplines because of an assumed complementarity - different disciplines adds their specifics to an overall picture. 
\par 
\par }\pard\plain \s21\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs32\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 2. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Hierarchies}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
. Disciplines building upon knowledge from other disciplines. (Eg. language and literat\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 ure).
\par }\pard\plain \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 3. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Overlapping}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
: As cooperation between scholars from different disciplines in areas of common interest. Related/overlapping themes in different disciplines. (e.g. the concept of impressionism within literature and art).
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 4. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Methodological transfer}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 . }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 As transfer of methodologies}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
 and/or epistemological principles from one discipline to another (e.g structuralism from linguistics to anthropology to...; postmodernism from arhitecture to philosophy of language to ...).
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 5. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Shared tradition}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 . As  a common epi\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
stemological/philosophical basis shared of scholars within different disciplines. (empiricist, rationalists, materialists, marxists, semioticians etc.)
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 6. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Competing on the same domain}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 . As relationship between different approaches to the same domain seen f\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
rom the point of view of different disciplines. (e.g. commu\-nication studies, technology studies). 
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 7. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Interdisciplinarity in the margins between discplines  or beyond the domains of existing disciplines}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 . Cooperation between scholars from different discip
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 lines concerned with domains/questions belonging in the periphery of traditional disciplines  - eventually leading to new disciplines (eg: some sorts of cultural studies and changes with the overall departemental structure).}{
\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 .
\par 
\par }{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 8}{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 . The study of scientificall\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 y produced objects. }{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
Disciplines directed towards phenomena produced in other disciplines eventually aided by knowledge produced in a third or fourth discipline. Eg. history of technologies and medias produced by the help of scientific knowledge.
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 9. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Studie\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 s crossing existing displinary borders. 
\par }{\fs28 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 10. }{\i\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Institutionalisation of interdisciplinary practices \endash \hich\f4  often in centres either as thematically defined or as generally defined \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 humanities centres
\u171\'c7\loch\f4 .
\par }{\fs28 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 I suspect that the categories 1-6 are all wellknown and chara\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 cteristic in the 4}{\fs28\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
 information societies while the latter 7-10 are added as characteristic either in the transitional process to or in the 5}{\fs28\super \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 th}{\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4  information socities.
\par 
\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 If nothing else a list of this sort may lead to further reflections on the notions of a \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 discipline and of interdisciplinarity.
\par 
\par 
\par 
\par }{\fs28\cf1 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 * Note to the general scheme of information societies:
\par }\pard\plain \s16\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 The +\rquote 
es are essential for the understanding of the model. New media are added to the existing matrice of media. In general old media does not disappear becaus\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
e of the advent of new media, but their function are often changed and they are often used in new \endash 
 more specialised - ways. Speech did not disappear because of writing, writing did not disappear because of the printed text and printed text did not diasap\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 p\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
ear because of the analogue electronic media. On the contrary, the printed texts have never before been as important for the function of society as in the years after WW II and during the heydays of televison from the 1950-es into 1990-es. In these years 
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 p\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 rinted text were spread all over the society and still more decisions in any area became strongly dependent on a bulk of printed materials books, reports, abstracts, summaries etc.
\par }\pard \s16\fi284\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 At the same time the text also left its own former media and has now spread\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
 everywhere: on the streets, on the cars, in the busses and in the subways, on the goods in the consumermarket and in our re\-
frigerators, on the screens in the offices and in the factories as well as on the fishermens boats, and not to forget even on our \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 c\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
lothes. A growing number of people need to use texts in their daily work as well as everywhrte else in daily life. Today the book, the magazine and the newspaper is no longer the sole media of texts. Most media are also media for textual representation.

\par \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 Th\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e analogue media did not conquer printculture. On the contrary the new media reinforced the use of texts. Nor did the printed text disappear because of the computer and electronic text.
\par }\pard \s16\sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright {\fs28 \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 One of the most widespread and significant functions of the com\-puter \hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 \hich\f4 
today is to produce printed texts. If there is a PC there is cable to a printer. The \u187\'c8\loch\f4 \hich\f4 Gutenmberg-galaxis\u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4  is inscribed into the \u171\'c7\loch\f4 \hich\f4 Turing galaxis\u171\'c7\loch\f4 
 which is itself a textbased technology as it is based on a \endash  new, binary \endash  alphabet. However, the use of print\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 e\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 
d texts has changed. We are now often printing texts as single copies or in a few copies for use here and now, some texts are still printed to be stored, but we are on the way to use electronical storing because of the array of new facilities such as sear
\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 c\hich\af4\dbch\af4\loch\f4 h-machines. 
\par }\pard\plain \sl360\slmult1\widctlpar\adjustright \fs26\lang1030\loch\af4\hich\af4\dbch\f4\cgrid {\fs28 
\par 
\par }}