Secondary Research

‘ In this regard, “hearing history” is a call for historians to consider sound as a source of historical evidence and to engage with auditory sources in a more nuanced way, just as they would with written texts, images, or material culture.’

Hearing History: A Reader, Mark M. Smith, 2004

It explores the idea of the soundscape, a term made popular by Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer. The entirety of the sounds in a particular setting, including ambient, man-made, and natural sounds, is referred to as the “soundscape.”

• According to Hearing History,
• We need to take into account how people heard as well as what they heard. Understanding how the body is involved in the physical sensation of listening might help one have a deeper understanding of past experiences.
• The work is consistent with the larger topic of sensory history, which investigates the historical understanding and experience of many senses, including sight, touch, taste, smell, and hearing. One of the most important sensory channels for comprehending people’s lived experiences is sound.

• According to Hearing History,
• Sound influences how people and groups perceive and comprehend their surroundings on a local and global level. Examples from various geographic and cultural contexts are included in the book to show how sound has been used by many societies to establish community, identity, and power.
  It challenges historians to consider sound in light of regional customs, international interactions, and their intricate interactions.