The Media and Modernity

Description

In this major work, Thompson addresses these and other questions by elaborating a distinctive social theory of communication media and their impact. He argues that the development of communication media has transformed the spatial and temporal constitution of social life, creating new forms of action and interaction which are no longer linked to the sharing of a common locale. The consequences of this transformation are far-reaching and impinge on many aspects of our lives, from the most intimate aspects of personal experience and self-formation to the changing nature of power and visibility in the public domain. Drawing on the work of social and political theorists, cultural historians and communication researchers, Thompson develops his argument through an analysis of several interrelated themes: the rise of mediated interaction; the creation of new forms of mediated visibility, the emergence of global communication networks, the transformation of tradition, the reshaping of the process of self-formation, and the changing character of the public sphere. Combining breadth of vision with sensitivity to detail, this book situates the study of the media where it belongs, among a set of disciplines concerned with the emergence, development and structural characteristics of modern societies and their futures. This wide-ranging and innovative book develops an original theory of the media and their impact on the modern world, from the emergence of printing to the most recent developments in the media industries.

Description

What role have communication media played in the formation of modern societies? How should we understand the social impact of new forms of communication and information diffusion, from the advent of printing in fifteenth-century Europe to the expansion of global communication networks today? In this major new work, Thompson addresses these and other questions by elaborating a distinctive social theory of communication media and their impact. He argues that the development of communication media has transformed the spatial and temporal constitution of social life, creating new forms of action and interaction which are no longer linked to the sharing of a common locale. The consequences of this transformation are far-reaching and impinge on many aspects of our lives, from the most intimate aspects of personal experience and self-formation to the changing nature of power and visibility in the public domain. -- Publisher description.

First Sentence

'I have said that, in my opinion, all was chaos, that is, earth, air, water, and fire were mixed together; and out of that bulk a mass formed - just as cheese is made out of milk - and worms appeared in it, and these were the angels.

Subjects

Other Editions

• The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the MediaHardcoverStanford University Press1996-02-01
• The Media and ModernityPaperbackStanford University Press1996-02-01