The Media and Modernity: A Social Theory of the Media

by John Brookshire Thompson

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. Combining breadth of vision with sensitivity to detail, this book situates the study of the media where it among a set of disciplines concerned with the emergence, development and structural characteristics of modern societies and their futures.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sociology, Social Science, Reference, Journalism, History, Communication

322 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[C.]

I had to read this book for one of my first year's university exams. So far, it's one of the few academic books that didn't bore me to death but, on the contrary, caught my attention. I found it really interesting and eye-opening - I could see myself in the description of today's society.

I highly recommend it.

[Mehdi Taghaddomi]

کتاب بسیار خوب و ترجمهٔ بسیار بد.
توی خیلی از ریدینگ لیست‌های دانشگاه‌های جهان هست و حقا از کتابهای خیلی خوب در حوزهٔ جامعه‌شناسی ارتباطاته. اما اگر ناشر ویراستار استخدام می‌کرد کتاب قابل استفاده‌تری بود!
البته ترجمهٔ بدش غیرقابل تحمل نیست و باز هم می‌شه از کتاب حظ کافی برد.

[Titus Hjelm]

I read this as a student first, but wanted to rehash the argument--most importantly to check how well it has fared after the Internet 'revolution'. It has. Partly because the theoretical point Thompson makes are in some ways timeless and regardless of all kinds of prophets of singularity, the social media is not a substitute for face to face interaction. Second, the book is a good example of historical sociology, tracing developments in media across centuries, not just concentrating on the here and now. OK, I'd love to see a new edition and a new chapter, but the book still stands on its own without one as well.

[Christine Goudroupi]

Πάρα πολύ τίμιο.

[Albert Fabregat]

El autor muestra ‘nuevas’ formas de comunicación en nuestra sociedad al tiempo que reflexiona sobre la ‘nueva’ situación en la que los encuentros ya no son más en un mismo entorno físico.

[mahatmanto]

baru skimming aja udah terkesan... biarin buku lama... yang penting berguna!
halah..

[Mahu]

V podstatě jen pojmenovává jevy, které mi byly od začátku jasné, ale je docela zajímavé si to utřídit. Plus příklady z americké politické scény jsou super!