Explorations: Studies in Culture and Communication, principally edited by Edmund Carpenter and Marshall McLuhan, was the first postwar journal to engage directly with the new "grammars" of mid-century new media of communication. Launched in Toronto in 1953, at the very moment that television made its national debut in Canada, Explorations presented a mosaic of approaches to contemporary media culture and became the site in which McLuhan and Carpenter first formulated their most striking insights about new media in the electric age. The extraordinary breadth of contributions to Explorations from leading thinkers across the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences makes this journal a founding publication in the now burgeoning field of media studies. Originally funded by a Ford Foundation grant, the eight coedited issues of Explorations ran from 1953 to 1957 and are reprinted here for the first time in sixty years. For a listing of all articles in this series, refer to the Summaries at the end of the series foreword.
hîs îs an annîversary new edîtîon o te eîgt co–edîted îssues o Exploratîons, wît annotatîons by Mîcael Darroc and Janîne Marcessault, în conjunctîon wît students and researcers at te Unîversîty o Wîndsor and York Unîversîty, Canada. Researc or te annotated edîtîons was made possîble by a grant rom te Socîal Scîences and Humanîtîes Researc Councîl o Canada. Addîtîonal researc was provîded by Lorraîne Spîess în conjunctîon wît te Estate o Edmund Carpen-ter. Permîssîons researc was provîded by Jonatan McKenzîe. hîs republîcatîon project was a joînt înîtîatîve undertaken by te estates o Marsall McLuan and Edmund Carpenter.
Fundîng or Issues 1–6 (1953–1956) was orîgînally provîded by a grant rom te Ford Foundatîon’s Beavîoral Scîences Program. Issues 7–8 (1957) were sponsored by te Telegram o Toronto.
Typograpy or Issue 1 was desîgned and prînted by Rous & Mann Press Lîmîted, Toronto. he cover o Issue 7 and te cover and typograpy o Issue 8 were desîgned by Harley Parker and prînted courtesy o te Unîversîty o Toronto Press. Please see îndîvîdual îssues or urter notes on contrîbutors and acknowledgements.
All rîgts reserved. No part o tîs publîcatîon may be reproduced în any manner wîtout permîssîon.
Every efort as been made to contact copyrîgt olders and to ensure tat all te înormatîon presented îs correct. Some o te acts în tîs volume may be subject to debate or dîspute. I proper copyrîgt acknowledgment as not been made, or or clarîicatîons and correctîons, please contact te publîsers and we wîll correct te înormatîon în uture reprîntîngs, î any.
EXPLORATIONS . . .
îs desîgned, not as a permanent reerence journal tat embalms trut or posterîty, but as a publîcatîon tat explores and searces and questîons.
We envîsage a serîes tat wîll cut across te umanîtîes and socîal scîences by treatîng tem as a contînuum. We belîeve antropology and commu-nîcatîon are approaces, not bodîes o data, and tat wîtîn eac te our wînds o te umanîtîes, te pysîcal, te bîologîcal and te socîal scîences întermîngle to orm a scîence o man.
Volumes 1 through 6:
Edîtor: E. S. Carpenter Assocîate Edîtors: W. T. Easterbrook H. M. McLuan J. Tyrwîtt D. C. Wîllîams
Address all correspondence to EXPLORATIONS Unîversîty o Toronto Toronto, Canada
Volumes 7 & 8:
Edîtors: Edmund Carpenter Marsall McLuan
Sponsor Telegram o Toronto Publîser Unîversîty o Toronto
(he main Introduction to tis series is in Volume One)
M î c a e D a r ro c ( Un î v e r s î y o Wî n d s or ) a n d Ja n î n e Ma rc e s s au ( Yor k Un î v e r s î y )
Explorationsan experîmena înerdîscîpînary pubîcaîon ed by was acuy and graduae sudens a e Unîversîy o Torono în wîc e medîa eorîs Marsa McLuan and e radîca anropoogîs Edmund Carpener ormuaed eîr mos srîkîng însîgs abou new medîa în e eecrîc age. he journa served o dîssemînae some o e însîgs and experîmens o e Cuure and Communîcaîons graduae semînar (1953– 55), an înnovaîve medîa înk ank o e 1950s. he eîg coedîed îssues oExplorationsare repubîsed ere or e irs îme sînce eîr orîgîna prînîng în e 1950s.
he Exporaîons researc group aîmed o deveop a “ied approac” o e sudy o new medîa and communîcaîon. Wîe înspîred by a poswar, mod-ernîs dîscourse o unîversaîy, no sînge mode o researc was domînan. By eîr own accoun, e eam soug “an area o muuay supporîng însîgs în a crîîque o e meods o sudy în Economîcs, Psycoogy, Engîs, An- ropoogy, and Town Pannîng.”Explorationspubîsed wrîîngs by group
1. Herber Marsa McLuan Fonds, ed în Lîbrary and Arcîves Canada (LAC) în Oawa. Furer reerences o e McLuan Fonds wî be îdenîied as LAC oowed by e ca number MG 31, D 156, e voume number, and e oder number (ere: LAC MG 31, D 156, 145, 35).
members aong wî conrîbuîons on opîcs rangîng rom enoînguîsîcs o economîc eory, rom ar and desîgn o deveopmena psycoogy, rom psycoanaysîs o nursery rymes and bawdy baads, rom urban eory o eecronîc medîa. he journa reaed cuure, and cuura sudîes, as a andscape o experîences and knowedge. An experîmena space în îs own rîg,Explorations couned among îs more an eîgy conrîbuors bo esabîsed and emergîng scoars, scîenîss, and arîss.
he înk ank and e journa were suppored by a gran rom e Ford Foundaîon’s newy esabîsed înerdîscîpînary researc and sudy program în beavîora scîences (mos îkey cowrîen by McLuan and Carpener and assîsed by e en docora suden Donad hea). he group obaîned $44,250 or a wo-year researc projec devoed o sudyîng e “cangîng paerns o anguage and beavîor and e new medîa o communîcaîon.” Wîîn Nor Amerîca, e Torono group’s proposa can be couned among e very irs aemps o combîne expîcîy e sudy o cuureandcom-munîcaîon. he îmîng o îs gran îs sîgnîican gîven e scope o con-emporaneous sudîes o medîa underway în e Unîed Saes and Europe: uncîonaîs and crîîca cuura sudîes o mass communîcaîons, eorîes o cyberneîcs, sudîes o socîa îneracîon, as we as psycoogîca sudîes o e efecs o medîa on uman percepîon. Carpener, înîîay e drîvîng orce beîndExplorations, aced as edîor o e irs sîx îssues beore becom-îng coedîor wî McLuan or îssues 7 and 8, wîc were sponsored by e Toronto Telegram. A nîn and ina îssue, enîedEskimo(1959), combîned Carpener’s wrîîngs on îndîgenous ar and cuure o e Aîvîîk juxaposed wî îmages rom immaker Rober Faery and drawîngs by Frederîck Var-ey. Ater Beacon Press pubîsed a seecîon oExplorationsconrîbuîons în 1960, coedîed by Carpener and McLuan asExplorations in Communi-cation, McLuan aer resuscîaed e spîrî oExplorationsas a “magazîne wîîn a magazîne,” a pubîcaîon însîde e Unîversîy o Torono’s aumnî magazîne, eVarsity Graduate(1964–72).
2.Ford Foundation, 1953, Ford Foundation Annual Report 1953,New York: Ford Foundaîon: 67. he Ford Foundaîon’s Beavîora Scîences Program ad e saed goa o “împrovîng e conen o e beavîora scîences” by specîicay supporîng “înerdîscîpînary researc and sudy.” Launced în 1952, e program aîmed o ep e “îneecua deveopmen o e beavîora scîences” by “împrovîng eîr reaîonsîp wî suc dîscîpînes as îsory, socîa and poîîca pîosopy, umanîsîc sudîes and ceraîn pases o economîcs” (67).
vî
he group’s proposa o Ford’s Beavîora Scîences Program îs reveaîng o e cenra assumpîons a woud underpîn e graduae semînar andEx-plorations. he proposa’s poîn o deparure îs no ye an assumpîon abou e power o medîa orms o sape conen, bu raer e undersandîng a meods or sudyîng new medîa requîred recognîîon o new paerns emergîng across ecnoogîca, cuura, and urban îe. Underpînnîng e proposa îs a conversaîon a McLuan în parîcuar ad sared wî ad-vocaes o cyberneîc eorîes. Carpener was aso o course conversan wî e wrîîngs o anropoogîss wo were deepy învoved wî deveopîng cyberneîc modes and meapors wîîn e socîa scîences, among oers Gregory Baeson and Margare Mead. Cyberneîc eorîes aso came o e group roug Donad hea, wo woud compee îs PD dîsseraîon în 1954 on “Communîcaîon heorîes în Modern Poery: Yeas, Pound, Joyce and Eîo” under e supervîsîon o bo McLuan and Carpener.
“We aware o e brîîan new deveopmens în communîcaîon sudy a Massacuses Insîue o Tecnoogy,” e Ford gran expaîns, gesurîng bo o Norber Wîener’s cyberneîc conerences and o Caude San-non and Warren Weaver’s maemaîca eory o communîcaîon, “e undersîgned propose o uîîze ese însîgs bu o empoy aso e ec-nîque o sudyîng e orms o communîcaîon, od and new, as ar orms,” an approac aready “împîcî în e very îe o Harod Innîs’Bias of Communication.” he Torono group proposed o sudy e efecs o new medîa orms on paerns o anguage, economîc vaues, socîa organîzaîon, îndîvîdua and coecîve beavîour, aways keepîng în mînd accompanyîng canges o e cassroom and e neworks o cîy îe. In eîr eyes e cen-ra probem consîsed o wo aspecs. Fîrs, “e creaîon o a new anguage o vîsîon” a “arîses rom a our new vîsua medîa and wîc îs par o e oa anguage o modern cuure.” Second, e Torono group proposed o sudy “e împac o îs oa socîa anguage on e radîîona spoken and wrîen orms o expressîon.” hese wo core objecîves ey woud pursue în e pages oExplorations roug numerous conrîbuîons. As ceary îndîcaed în an eary drat o eîr Ford proposa, e core researc group
3. Edmund S. Carpener, Jaqueîne Tyrwî, H. M. McLuan, W. T. Easerbrook, and D. C. Wîîams, 1953, “Unîversîy o Torono: Cangîng Paerns o Language and Beavîor and e New Medîa o Communîcaîon.” Ford Foundaîon Arcîves. Gran Fîe PA 53–70, Secîon 1, 1–11. Rockeeer Arcîve Cener, New York: 4. vîî
Wîe no one dîscîpîne was prîvîeged above e oers, anropoogy payed a specîa roe în creaîng a srong comparaîve ramework rom e sar. In addîîon o anropoogîca dîscussîons o cyberneîcs, e Sapîr-Wor eory was an împoran îneecua oundaîon. As wî Innîs, Edward Sapîr (a German-born Amerîcan wo spen iteen years în Oawa workîng or e Geograpîca Survey o Canada) ofered a muîoca abî o vîsîon, workîng beween înguîsîcs, anropoogy, and psycoogy. For e gran appîcans, Sapîr “broug ogeer European aîudes owards psycoanaysîs (empasîs on socîay-sîuaed personaîy) and Nor Amerîcan aîudes owards socîa srucure (cuure).” Moreover, Sapîr “used e European concern wî pîoogy wî [e] Nor Amerîcan concern wî dynamîc paerns în anguage.” he anropoogîs and e-noînguîs Doroy Lee was arguaby one o e group’s “mos înluenîa orce[s],” conrîbuîng sîx arîces on anguage, vaue, and percepîon. Her însîg a peopes suc as e Trobrîanders perceîved înea order dîfer-eny rom Wesern cuures ad aready been cîed by Baeson and Ruesc (1951), and was cenra o e deîneaîon o acousîc and vîsua cuures underaken by e Exporaîons group, and în aer sudîes by bo McLu-an and Carpener.
In deveopîng eîr meodoogîes, semînar acuy and graduae sudens underook a number o crîîca medîa experîmens on cangîng paerns o percepîon resuîng rom new medîa. he CBC and e en Ryerson Insî-ue paced sudîo space and medîa equîpmen a eîr dîsposa. he experî-men esed eîr cenra ypoesîs a dîferen medîa (speec, prîn, radîo, eevîsîon) end emseves o dîferen kînds o pedagogîca experîences. I îs surprîsîng a suc indîngs ave never been uy aken up by educaîona medîa researcers. Hopeuy, e repubîcaîon o ese eary sudîes wî
4. “Cangîng Paerns o Man and Socîey Assocîaed wî e New Medîa o Com-munîcaîon.” Drat o Ford Foundaîon Proposa, îkey 1953. LAC MG 31, D 156, 204, 26. 5. Carpener e a, 1953: 2. 6. Edmund Carpener, 2001, “ha No-So-Sîen Sea,” în Donad F. hea (Ed.),he Virtual Marsall McLuan(p. 240), Monrea: McGî-Queen’s Unîversîy Press. 7. Edmund Carpener, 1954, “Ceraîn Medîa Bîases,”Explorations3:65–74; Edmund Carpener and Marsa McLuan, 1956, “he New Languages,”Cicago Review10(1): 46–52; Edmund Carpener, 1957, “he New Languages,”Explorations7:4–21. vîîî
renew îneres în e cognîîve sudîes o medîa wîc ave ocussed oo nar-rowy, accordîng o Carpener and McLuan, on aenîon and înpus and no enoug on e creaîve and crîîca aspecs o percepîon.
Wa îs cear în readîng roug eExplorations îssues îs a Carpen-er and McLuan were mos îneresed în e new kînds o earnîng made possîbe roug e medîa. McLuan, în parîcuar, was înluenced by researc îno uman percepîon as par o îs approac o medîa sudîes sînce e beîeved a ese medîa were aerîng our senses, our orms o a-enîon and knowedge producîon. Carpener and McLuan woud asser a e medîa are ransormîng e uman sensorîum, an îdea capured peraps mos payuy în e ina coedîed îssue,Explorations8, an ode o James Joyce devoed o e ora, o e new “acousîc space” o e eecrîc age: “Verbî-Voco-Vîsua.” he îssue eaures seven essays, încudîng one by McLuan, a expore dîferen aspecs o ora cuure—mosy concerned wî a ransîîon o a new oraîy. Tweny-our non-auored “Iems,” wîc încude some prevîousy pubîsed essays by McLuan and Carpener, ap-pear as umorous îneecua skeces exporîng opîcs îke “Eecronîcs as ESP,” car commercîas, baroom acousîcs, dîcapones, and o course wîne. he ina “Iem,” number 24, enîed “No Upsîde Down în Eskîmo Ar,” reîeraed McLuan and Carpener’s core asserîon a “ater ou-sands o years o wrîen processîng o uman experîence, e însana-neous omnîpresence o eecronîcay processed înormaîon as oîcked us ou o ese age-od paerns îno an audîory word.” In e îsory o medîa sudîes în Canada and înernaîonay, eExplorations journa îs an împoran sarîng poîn or deinîng e rîc new însîgs around new medîa cuures a e Torono Scoo eped înaugurae.
References
Carpener, Edmund S., Jaqueîne Tyrwî, H. M. McLuan, W. T. Easerbrook, andD. C. Wîîams. 1953. “Unîversîy o Torono: Cangîng Paerns o Language and Beavîor and e New Medîa o Communîcaîon.” Ford Foundaîon Arcîves. Gran Fîe PA 53–70, Secîon 1, 1–11. Rockeeer Arcîve Cener, New York. Carpener, Edmund. 1954. “Ceraîn Medîa Bîases.”Explorations3:65–74. Carpener, Edmund. 1957. “he New Languages.”Explorations7:4–21. Carpener, Edmund. 2001. “ha No-So-Sîen Sea.” In Donad F. hea (Ed.),he Virtual Marsall McLuan(pp. 236–61). Monrea: McGî-Queen’s Unîversîy Press. Carpener, Edmund, and Marsa McLuan. 1956.“he New Languages.”Cicago Review 10(1): 46–52.
îx
Ford Foundaîon. 1953.Ford Foundation Annual Report 1953.New York: Ford Foundaîon. Ruesc, Jurgen, and Gregory Baeson. 1951.Communication, te Social Matrix of Psyciatry. New York: Noron. hea, Donad. 1954.Communication heories in Modern Poetry: Yeats, Pound, Eliot and Joyce.Docora dîsseraîon. Torono: Unîversîy o Torono.