Communication: a field in theoretical trouble

Authors

  • Muniz Sodré Escola de Comunicação/ Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro/ Rio de Janeiro/ Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1982-8160.v5i2p11-27

Keywords:

communication theory, epistemology, scientific field, media effects paradigm

Abstract

This article discusses the theoretical challenges involved in establishing the field of Communication, and shows that the media effects paradigm is still the foundation of most academic studies. By reviewing contributions from the School of Chicago, Marshal McLuhan’s mass communication research, and the School of Frankfurt among others, this article suggests that the prestige of a social science is not just a matter of the objectivity of the knowledge it generates, but of the political, cultural, and social worth of its production. The publication of this article in MATRIZes is one of many initiatives to commemorate Muniz Sodré’s 70th birthday.

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Author Biography

  • Muniz Sodré, Escola de Comunicação/ Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro/ Rio de Janeiro/ Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
    Professor da Escola de Comunicação da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro.

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Published

2012-06-13

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2012)

Section

Dossier

License

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How to Cite

Sodré, M. (2012). Communication: a field in theoretical trouble. MATRIZes, 5(2), 11-27. https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.1982-8160.v5i2p11-27