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DifferentHorizons|JamandIdleness

JamandIdleness
"Losttoalmosteverythingbutavaguesenseofjamand
idleness."

DifferentHorizons
January23,2014
Elizabeth

NonFiction
hans
robertjauss,jeanbaudrillard,pierrebayard,reading,receptionstudies,receptiontheory,roland
barthes,wolfgangiser
ItseemslikeanimpossiblylongtimeagothatIwasstudyingforaMasters.Thecoursewascalled
ReceptionandCriticalTheoryandIamsadtoreportthatitdoesnotexistanymore,butIwasstillable
tofindtheoriginalbriefdescriptionofthecourseaimonline:
ThisMAisdesignedtogivestudentsthebestpossibletraininginreceptionandcriticaltheory;it
equipsstudentswiththeknowledgeandskillsnecessaryforunderstandingworksofartthrough
theirreceptionbyhistoricallyandculturallysituatedreaders,viewersandlisteners;studentslearn
howanunderstandingofreceptiontransformsourapproachtostudyintheartsandhumanities,
throughasustainedengagementwithcriticaltheory.JustCourses.com
(http://www.justcourses.com/Courses/University_of_Bristol/Reception_and_Critical_Theory/292179
00.html)
IfyouarecompletelynewtoReceptionStudiesIveincludedtheWikipedialinkhere
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reception_theory)butIshouldaddthewarningthatthisisaverybrief
andunfulfillingarticleandIwouldhateforsomeonetobeputofflearningmorebythisverydry
description.Ihaveonlyaddedthelinkforthosewhowantaverybriefoutline,ratherthantosellthe
theory.
WhiletheWikipediaarticlemaylackdepth,itdoesmentionHansRobertJauss,sotofurtherexpress
whatisatthecoreofReception,hereitisinhisown(translated)words:
Tobelievethatitispossibletogainaccesstothealienhorizonofthepastsimplybyleavingout
onesownhorizonofthepresentistofailtorecognizethatsubjectivecriteria,suchaschoice,
perspective,andevaluation,havebeenintroducedintoasupposedlyobjectivereconstructionofthe
past.HansRobertJauss,
TheIdentityofthePoeticTextintheChangingHorizonofUnderstanding
https://jamandidleness2014.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/differenthorizons/
Jaussbelieves(andImwithhimonthis)thatweallapproachatext/image/artwork/film/pieceofmusic1/3

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Jaussbelieves(andImwithhimonthis)thatweallapproachatext/image/artwork/film/pieceofmusic
withourownhorizonofexpectationsandthathorizonismadeupofallofourexperiencesupuntil
thatmomentofcontact.Webringourideas,ourculture,ourpersonalandsocialbiases,ourmemories,
andeveryothertextwehavepreviouslyreadtoournewreadingsandwitheachnewreadingour
horizonchanges.
AnotherquotethatIloveisfromWolfgangIser.Init,healludestothewaysthatwehavemappedthe
starsandthedifferentshapesthatwecouldmakeifwemadedifferentconnections.InTheImplied
Reader,hesays:
Thestarsinaliterarytextarefixed;thelinesthatjointhemarevariable.
Forme,studyingReceptionwasntjustaboutacknowledgingthebiasthatwebringtoourreadingsand
thewaywecannot,howeverhardwemaytry,readobjectively.Itwasaboutthevaluethatweplaceon
certainreadings.Ifallreadingsaresubjective,thenwhyisonetypeofreadingoftenhighlightedas
betterthantheother?
ImwritingthispostbecauseIfoundalittlescrapofwritinginahalffillednotebookIhadrecently
startedusingagain.IwroteitnotlongafterIgraduatedbecauseIwasfrustratedaboutoneofthemost
commoncriticismsIhadbeengettinginthefeedbackonmyessays,includingmythesis.ThisiswhatI
wrote:
AmajorcriticismofmyMAthesiswasthatIignoredtheboundariesbetweentheoryandunacademic
resources.Iskippedbetweentalkingabouttheideasofrespectedacademicsandphilosophersof
modernthoughtandtherandomblogsofunknowninternetuserswithnorespectforthedistinctions
betweenthetwo.If,likearesearchpostgraduate,Ihadbeengiventheopportunitytodefendmywork
inavivavoceIwouldhavesimplysaid,Iknow.Isntitlovely?
Obviouslytheydisagree,andwouldhavedonesointheviva.AndIwouldhavedefendedmyactions.
Why?BecauseIamaReceptionTheorist.
IhaveagreatrespectforthewonderfulworksofRolandBarthes,thefascinatingideasofJean
Baudrillard,thehonestandamusingPierreBayard,andtheothertheoristswhofeaturedinmythesis.
ThesethinkersreallyhelpedmetoshapemyownideasandunderstandhowIwantedtoapproachmy
topic.ButIamnolessinterestedinthereactionsofothers;ofpeopleacademicsmightdeemless
informed.
Canyoureallybelessinformed?Really,Ithinknonacademicsarejustdifferentlyinformed.Theyare
informedbyotherthings.Thisraisesthequestionofhowwevalueinformation.Whyisbeing
academicallyinformedsuperior?
(Circalate2011/early2012)
Disclaimer:Obviously,youcanreallybelessinformedandweseepeopleactingonpoorinformationor
havingrantsaboutthingsthatintruththeyknownothingaboutallthetime,butthatisntwhatIm
talkingabouthere.Imtalkingabouthowpeoplereceiveartandliterature.YoucandislikeCitizenKane,
youcanbedisappointedwhenyouseetheMonaLisa,andIdontcareifyouhaveneverreadorseen
Hamlet.TheseareallexamplesIhavecomeacrossofpeoplefeelingthattheiropinionsonartdont

https://jamandidleness2014.wordpress.com/2014/01/23/differenthorizons/
matterbecausetheyfeltthatwayaboutsomethingthathasbeendeemedaclassic.Theyfeltthatthey

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matterbecausetheyfeltthatwayaboutsomethingthathasbeendeemedaclassic.Theyfeltthatthey
hadhadthewrongreactionbecausetheirreactiondidntconformtotheculturalexpectationthatthese
aresomeofthegreatworksofwesternart.Theiropinionsmattertome.
Wedonthavetoagree,ourhorizonsmightbetoodifferentforustotakethesamereadingfrom
something,butthatdoesntmeanthatanyoneshouldstoptryingtomaketheirownreadings.
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