The term “remediation” derives from the Latin remediare, meaning “to cure” or “to heal”. This etymology underscores the fundamental concept of corrective action or restoration.
Meanings
Environmental Remediation: The process of addressing contamination in various environmental media (e.g., soil, groundwater, surface water, air). This involves the removal or mitigation of pollutants and hazardous substances to protect human health and ecological systems.
Educational Remediation: Interventions designed to provide targeted support for learners experiencing academic difficulties. Remediation strategies may include individualized instruction, differentiated learning activities, and specialized skill development programs.
Cognitive Remediation: Therapeutic approaches aimed at improving cognitive functions such as attention, memory, executive function, and problem-solving. Cognitive remediation is often utilized in the treatment of brain injuries, neurological disorders, and mental health conditions.
Key Concepts
Problem Identification: The initial step in remediation, involving the precise diagnosis of a pollution scenario, a specific learning challenge, or a cognitive deficit.
Comprehensive Assessment: Detailed evaluation to establish the nature and scope of the problem, informing the development of an effective remediation strategy.
Tailored Intervention: The implementation of a customized remediation plan based on the assessment findings. Interventions may range from environmental cleanup technologies to specialized instructional techniques or therapeutic exercises.
Monitoring and Evaluation: Continuous tracking of progress and outcomes to guide potential adjustments to the remediation plan, ensuring its ongoing effectiveness.
Remediation: Definition of a Theoretical Term
Remediation refers to the process of correcting or improving something that is deficient or problematic. It involves identifying the root cause of the issue and implementing strategies to address it effectively. Whether in education, environmental restoration, or technology, remediation aims to restore functionality, integrity, or quality to a system or situation.
Remediation: Theorists, Works and Arguments
Field
Theorists
Works
Arguments
Media Studies/New Media
Jay David Bolter & Richard Grusin
Remediation: Understanding New Media
New media always refashion and incorporate older forms, creating a complex interplay between old and new. This process is not one of replacement but of ongoing transformation.
Environmental Science
(Numerous – field driven by technology and regulation)
Technical Papers, Regulatory Guidance Documents
Remediation focuses on risk reduction, balancing technological feasibility, cost, and the protection of human health and the environment.
Educational Psychology
Robert Gagné
The Conditions of Learning
Systematic analysis of learning needs drives the design of instructional remediation. Remediation should target specific gaps in a learner’s knowledge or skill hierarchy.
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Tilo Strobach
Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT)
Targeted exercises can improve cognitive function in individuals with brain injuries or mental health conditions. Remediation focuses on both restoring lost function and developing compensatory strategies.
Important Notes:
Interdisciplinary Concept: Remediation is a concept found in various fields; therefore, no single set of theorists fully defines it.
Evolving Field: Each discipline continues to develop and refine remediation theories and practices.
Field-Specific: It is critical to research theorists and arguments specific to a particular area of remediation that you’re interested in.
Remediation: Major Characteristics
Transformation: Remediation involves change, aiming to improve an undesirable condition.
Literary References:
The transformation of monstrous beings into sympathetic characters (e.g., Frankenstein’s monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein or the Beast in Beauty and the Beast)
Personal narratives of redemption (e.g., Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables)
Restoration: Remediation often strives to return something to a previous or more ideal state.
Literary References:
Efforts to rebuild ravaged societies or restore lost honor (e.g., Epic poems like Beowulf or The Iliad)
Quests to reclaim a lost paradise or a sense of innocence (e.g., John Milton’s Paradise Lost)
Adaptation: Remediation involves finding new uses for existing things or adapting to a changed situation.
Literary References:
Characters repurposing objects or skills to overcome obstacles (e.g., Robinson Crusoe in Daniel Defoe’s novel)
The retelling and reinterpretation of classic stories or myths in modern contexts.
Compensation: Remediation might involve strategies to make up for a deficiency or loss.
Literary References:
Characters developing special abilities or seeking external resources to counter a weakness (e.g., mythic heroes receiving gifts from the gods)
Themes of overcoming adversity through resilience, community, or spiritual strength.
Concealment: Sometimes remediation is focused on hiding or masking a problem rather than its fundamental resolution.
Literary References:
Characters with deceptive appearances or hidden motives.
Narratives that expose social hypocrisy or the flawed systems behind a seemingly perfect façade (e.g., satire or dystopian fiction).
It is central in postmodern literary theory, where texts often reference or borrow from other texts, engaging in a constant process of reinterpretation and recontextualization.
It intersects with New Historicism by examining how texts remediate historical events, ideologies, or cultural norms, shedding light on power dynamics and historical consciousness.
In Reader-Response theory, it highlights how readers’ interpretations and responses to a text are influenced by their engagement with other media forms, such as film adaptations or online discussions.
Remediation within feminist theory explores how texts remediate gender roles, stereotypes, and narratives, and how such remediations either reinforce or subvert patriarchal structures.
Within postcolonial literary theory, it is examined in the context of how texts remediate colonial histories, languages, and cultural identities, shedding light on issues of representation and agency.
Remediation in eco-criticism involves examining how literature remediates environmental concerns, shaping perceptions of nature and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
In Queer Theory, it explores how texts remediate notions of gender and sexuality, challenging heteronormative narratives and offering alternative perspectives on identity and desire.
Remediation: Application in Critiques
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Remediation in the critique of Pride and Prejudice could explore how the novel does it societal norms and gender roles of the Regency era, offering a satirical commentary on class, marriage, and social expectations. Furthermore, one might analyze how adaptations of Pride and Prejudice in film, television, and digital media platforms reinterpret Austen’s themes of love, social status, and personal growth within contemporary contexts.
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez: In analyzing One Hundred Years of Solitude, it could involve examining how the novel remediates Latin American history, politics, and magical realism, offering a multi-generational saga that blurs the lines between reality and myth. Additionally, critiques might explore how adaptations and translations of One Hundred Years of Solitude in various languages and media formats capture the novel’s richness and complexity while reflecting diverse cultural perspectives.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Regarding The Great Gatsby, a critique through the lens of it could focus on how the novel remediates the American Dream and the Jazz Age, offering a critique of wealth, privilege, and moral decay in 1920s America. Furthermore, one could analyze how adaptations of The Great Gatsby in film, theater, and contemporary literature explore themes of love, illusion, and the pursuit of happiness in different cultural and historical contexts.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood: When critiquing The Handmaid’s Tale, it could involve examining how the novel remediates feminist literature and dystopian fiction, offering a chilling portrayal of patriarchal oppression and reproductive control. Furthermore, analyses might explore how adaptations of The Handmaid’s Tale in television series, graphic novels, and political discourse engage with contemporary issues of gender, power, and authoritarianism in society.
Remediation: Relevant Terms
Term
Description
Intermediality
The interaction and blending of different media forms within a single work or across multiple works.
Hypermediacy
The heightened awareness of mediation in a text, often achieved through the juxtaposition of multiple media elements.
Transmediation
The process of adapting a story or concept across different media platforms, each offering unique experiences and perspectives.
The referencing or incorporation of other texts within a literary work, creating layers of meaning and connections between texts.
Remix Culture
The cultural phenomenon where existing texts, images, or media are recombined or repurposed to create new works with different meanings or interpretations.
Supplementary material surrounding a text, such as titles, prefaces, or footnotes, which shapes the reader’s interpretation and understanding.
Remediation: Suggested Readings
Core Theoretical Works
Bolter, Jay David, and Richard Grusin. Remediation: Understanding New Media. MIT Press, 2000. The foundational text for understanding how new media transforms and incorporates elements of older media.
Hutcheon, Linda. A Theory of Adaptation. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2013. Analyzes the complex processes of how narratives and other creative works are adapted across different mediums.
Applications
Literary/Cultural: Rajewsky, Irina O. “Intermediality, Intertextuality, and Remediation: A Literary Perspective on Intermediality.” Intermédialités, no. 6, Fall 2005, pp. 43–64.
Educational: Fuchs, Douglas, and Lynn S. Fuchs. “The Promise of Strategic Instruction in Remedial Reading.” Focus on Exceptional Children, vol. 38, no. 7, March 2006, pp. 1-16.
