This innovative text draws on theories and methodologies from the fields of multimodality, ethnography, and literacy studies to explore the sociocultural significance of book ownership and book inscriptions in Edwardian Britain.
The Sociocultural Functions of Edwardian Book Inscriptions examines evidence gathered from historical records, archival documents, and the inscriptive practices of individuals from the Edwardian era to foreground the social, communicative, and performative functions of inscriptive practices and illustrate how material, lexical, and semiotic means were used to perform identity, contest social status, and forge relationships with others. The text adopts a unique ethnohistorical approach to multimodality, supporting the development of a typography of book inscriptions which will serve as a unique interpretive framework for analysis of literary artifacts in the context of broader sociopolitical forces.
This text will benefit doctoral students, researchers, and academics in the fields of literacy studies, English language arts, and research methods in education more broadly. Those interested in British book history, anthropology, and 20th-century literature will also enjoy this volume.
Introduction: The Sociocultural Lives of Edwardian Book Inscriptions Chapter 1: Edwardian Book Inscriptions: Their History, Types, and Patterns of Use Chapter 2: Inscribers, Owners, and Readers: Humanizing Edwardian Book Inscriptions Chapter 3: Reading Preferences, Attitudes, and Responses: Exploring Book Culture Through Edwardian Book Inscriptions Chapter 4: The Materiality of Edwardian Book Inscriptions: A Multimodal Ethnohistorical Perspective Chapter 5: Beyond Ownership: The Multifaceted Nature of Edwardian Book Inscriptions Chapter 6: Life, Death, and Rebirth: Tracing Edwardian Book Survival Through Inscriptive Evidence Epilogue: Rethinking Edwardian Book Inscriptions
Lauren Alex O’Hagan is a Researcher in the Department of Media and Communication Studies at Örebro University, Sweden.
