Three tasks for mediatization research: contributions to an open agenda

TY - JOUR

T1 - Three tasks for mediatization research

T2 - contributions to an open agenda

AU - Ekstrøm, Mats

AU - Fornäs, Johan

AU - Jansson, André

AU - Jerslev, Anne

PY - 2016/10/1

Y1 - 2016/10/1

N2 - Based on the interdisciplinary experience of a Swedish research committee, this article discusses critical conceptual issues raised by the current debate on mediatization – a concept that holds great potential to constitute a space for synthesized understandings of media-related social transformations. In contrast to other, more metaphorical constructions, mediatization can be studied empirically in systematic ways through various sub-processes that together provide a complex picture of how culture and everyday life evolve in times of media saturation. The first part of this article argues that mediatization researchers have sometimes formulated too grand claims as to mediatization’s status as a unitary approach, a meta-theory or a paradigm. Such claims have led to problematic confusions around the concept and should be abandoned in favour of a more open agenda. In line with such a call for openness, the second part of the article introduces historicity, specificity and measurability as three transdisciplinary and transparadigmatic tasks for the contemporary mediatization research agenda.

AB - Based on the interdisciplinary experience of a Swedish research committee, this article discusses critical conceptual issues raised by the current debate on mediatization – a concept that holds great potential to constitute a space for synthesized understandings of media-related social transformations. In contrast to other, more metaphorical constructions, mediatization can be studied empirically in systematic ways through various sub-processes that together provide a complex picture of how culture and everyday life evolve in times of media saturation. The first part of this article argues that mediatization researchers have sometimes formulated too grand claims as to mediatization’s status as a unitary approach, a meta-theory or a paradigm. Such claims have led to problematic confusions around the concept and should be abandoned in favour of a more open agenda. In line with such a call for openness, the second part of the article introduces historicity, specificity and measurability as three transdisciplinary and transparadigmatic tasks for the contemporary mediatization research agenda.

KW - Faculty of Humanities

KW - everyday life

KW - history

KW - measurability

KW - media studies

KW - mediatization

KW - research policy

U2 - 10.1177/0163443716664857

DO - 10.1177/0163443716664857

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0163-4437

VL - 38

SP - 1090

EP - 1108

JO - Media, Culture & Society

JF - Media, Culture & Society

IS - 7

ER -