skyblueandblack

skyblueandblack t1_iyz1led wrote

Just to add to what others have said...

In some societies, even today, a people's history is primarily an oral history. But in terms of a formal education of some kind, whether we're talking about ancient Rome or ancient China, history would have certainly been studied -- that is, if you're leading an army, it helps to know some military history. Not just the heroic tales, but tactics and strategy.

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skyblueandblack t1_iw9loq0 wrote

I think that's largely a modern phenomenon that we can thank technology for. Before modern communication technology, cultures were, by and large, very regional. But as technology began to allow wider communication, subcultures began to develop. You really saw it with pop culture, as people of similar ages would be listening to the same music, or watching the same TV shows or movies, things like that.

For example, without recording and broadcast technology, Beatlemania would have been impossible.

A lot of the "generational traits" that we see among different cohorts depend on shared culture. And modern communication is what makes that possible.

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