critical communication studies: communication, history & theory in America

The development of critical communication studies, with its adoption and integration of theoretical constructs from pragmatism, critical theory and cultural studies, has been a lively and complex process. "Critical Communication Studies" describes the intellectual and professional forces that have shaped research interests and formed alliances in the pursuit of particular goals. It reflects on the need to come to terms with the role of history in academic work and argues that terminologies, areas of scholarly interest and the domination of specific models of communication are products and expressions of cultural and historical conditions. Hanno Hardt skilfully locates this intellectual history within a context of competing social theories and in the proximity of social and political realities. The book provides a substantive foundation for understanding the communication studies field. This book should be of interest to undergraduates, postgraduates and academics in media, communication and cultural studies.