The Rights And Nation By Gerald Friesen Essay - 2007 Words

In his book, Citizens and Nation, Gerald Friesen first mentions the concept of â€Å"imagined communities† as he states, â€Å"Space had been restructured because the communication media had eliminated so many of the inherited constraints of physical existence† (Friesen 177). Thus, for Friesen, an imagined community is constructed as communication technologies connect individuals across geographical boundaries, therefore releasing the limitations of space. While Friesen’s definition implies that a technological intermediary is needed for the formation of imagined relations, his work, Citizens and Nation works to prove that communities that are based on something other than face-to-face communication, can, without technology, also be considered imagined†. Moreover, using, Oral-Traditional and Screen-Capitalist societies, two distinct time space-configurations, this essay will demonstrate how throughout history, the concept of â€Å"Imagined Communities† differed in its effect and prevalence in Canadian life. To begin, an analysis of Oral Traditional societies will work demonstrate that while per-literate communities were predominantly traditional, their connection to the land cultivated an â€Å"imagined community†. Prior to the invention of print, Canadian aboriginals lived in an oral society where the spoken word was the dominant form of communication. Because the transfer of information was limited to face to face communication, oral societies, unlike imagined communities, could only