Ch 1 & 2

Chapter 1 introduces the concept of communication from a scholarly perspective. Grossberg et. al. explores the nature of communication as it is related to the context it exists within, including the influence of technologies, institutions, and cultural forms. From there, the authors discussed mediation and identified and contrasted two separate models of communication: the first is a linear model, the transmission model, based on interpersonal communication, and the second, the cultural model, "sees communication as the construction of a shared space or map of meaning within which people coexist" (p. 22). Chapter 1 concludes by examining the role power plays in the dissemination and content of media.

Chapter 2 presents three different historical narratives of communication. The first is a longue duree that views history as progressing from an oral to an electronic culture--through the stages of writing and print culture--and the ramifications that transition had on society's perception of reality. This included a discussion of technological determinism and potential bias that can lead to. The second narrative, theories of the masses, is conjunctural and views culture presented through media as a tool to manipulate society. The final narrative offered by Grossberg et. al. describes the role of communication as the world transitions from modernity to postmodernity. This narrative explores the meaning of postmodernity at length, then posits that such a transition could not have occurred without the development of new communication technologies. The authors conclude chapter 2 by reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of each of the narratives, as well as looking toward their implications for the future.