Mass Communication Theory: Foundations, Ferment and Future - Softcover

SECTION I: INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION THEORY 1. 1. Understanding and Evaluating Mass Communication Theory 3. 2. Four Eras of Mass Communication Theory. SECTION II: THE ERA OF MASS SOCIETY AND MASS CULTURE. 3. The Rise of Media Industries and Mass Society Theory. 4. The Rise of Media Theory in the Age of Propaganda. 5. Normative Theories Of Mass Communication. SECTION III: FROM LIMITED-EFFECTS TO CRITICAL CULTURAL THEORIES: FERMENT IN THE FIELD. 6. The Rise of Limited-Effects Theory. 7. Moving Beyond Limited Effects: Focus on Functionalism and Children. 8. The Emergence Of Critical And Cultural Theories Of Mass Communication. SECTION IV: CONTEMPORARY MASS COMMUNICATION THEORY: FROM ACTIVE-AUDIENCE TO MEANING-MAKING THEORIES. 9. Audience Theories: Uses, Reception, and Effects. 10. Media and Society: The Role of Media in the Social World. 11. Media and Culture Theories: Meaning-Making in the Social World. 12. Afterword: The Future of Media Theory and Research. References. Index.

Stanley Baran is the founding chair of the Department of Communication at Bryant University, where he teaches courses in mass communication and communication theory. His academic interests include critical research in mass communication, mass media and social construction of reality, as well as development and improvement of media literacy skills. Dr. Baran has published 10 books, several scholarly articles, and sits or has sat on the editorial boards of numerous journals. His work has been translated into six languages. He was a Senior Fulbright Scholar, Institute for Journalisms und Kommunikationsforschung, Hannover, Deutschland, in 1997. He has served as a consultant for many corporations and organizations, including IBM, ABC, GTE, and Westin Hotels.