Media. Culture. Society

Author: Wu Fei, Wang Xuecheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Simmel proposed that sociology should be divided into three types: general sociology, philosophical sociology, and formal sociology. The principle of formal sociology lies in the distinction between the "form" or grammar of social phenomena and their specific interactions, which are referred to as "content." Simmel believed that specific patterns of social interaction unify and create social structures. Forms arise from teleological necessity, thus rooted in the assumption that sociological phenomena move toward specific goals and purposes. These forms provide the necessary framework for the occurrence of "social" phenomena. These goals and purposes organize themselves into various "grammatical" categories, or forms, which allow the inherent unity of social phenomena to combine into a unified whole called "society" and are expressed through culture. For Baudrillard, social phenomena appear through their expression in cultural forms. These forms are extended through media, with each form corresponding to a specific "code." Like Simmel and McLuhan before him, Baudrillard argues that for sociology, it is important to focus on specific forms and the revelation of their codes. The purpose of this book is to reveal the meaning of media in human society by exploring the specific "coding" methods of media operations.
In Chapter, we attempt to help readers grasp how different theoretical schools use various means and methods to interpret the social meaning of media by reviewing different traditions in communication research. The following chapters analyze the relationship between media and politics, media and the economy, and media and culture, respectively.