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  3. Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
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  5. Social Sciences En Politieke En Sociale Wetenschappen
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  7. Critical Thinking In Communication Studies

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Summary Critical Thinking in Communication Studies
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  • Critical Thinking In Communication Studies
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  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Very complete document with class notes and course material included Grade in first exam session: 14/20

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  • June 20, 2021
  • 75
  • 2018/2019
  • Summary

Subjects

  • communication studies
  • critical thinking

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  • Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
  • Social Sciences en Politieke en Sociale Wetenschappen
  • Critical Thinking In Communication Studies
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CRITICAL‌‌THINKING‌‌IN‌ ‌
COMMUNICATION‌‌STUDIES‌ ‌
2018-2019‌ ‌
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SOCIAL‌‌SCIENCES‌ ‌PROF.‌‌VERHOEST‌ ‌
D.L.Y.‌ ‌


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1.‌‌The‌‌Critical‌‌Paradigm‌ ‌
1.‌‌Situating‌‌Critical‌‌Thinking‌ ‌
● Opposed‌‌to‌‌mainstream‌‌media‌‌and‌‌communication‌‌research‌‌ ‌
● Marxist‌ ‌
● Normative‌‌=‌‌how‌‌things‌‌have‌‌to‌‌be‌‌instead‌‌of‌‌describing‌‌what‌‌is‌ ‌
● Self-critical‌‌=‌‌matters‌‌what‌‌you‌‌do‌‌as‌‌a‌‌scientist‌‌ ‌


1.1.‌‌Critical‌‌vs.‌‌Mainstream‌‌ ‌
<‌‌Mainstream‌‌of‌‌media‌‌and‌‌communication‌‌studies‌ ‌
● Cf.‌‌Rational‌‌choice‌‌theories‌ ‌
● Cf.‌‌Pluralist‌‌theories‌ ‌

Not‌‌a‌‌homogenous‌‌field‌ ‌
● Cf.‌‌Marxist‌‌theories‌ ‌
● Cf.‌‌Institutionalist‌‌theories‌ ‌
● Post-structuralism‌ ‌


What‌‌is‌‌generally‌‌considered‌‌as‌‌mainstream?‌ ‌ What‌‌are‌‌the‌‌counter‌‌propositions‌‌of‌‌critical‌‌studies?‌ ‌


● Linear‌‌thinking‌‌that‌‌generally‌‌ignores‌‌broader‌‌ ● Dialectical‌‌thinking‌ ‌
societal‌‌issues‌‌(e‌ .g.‌‌hypodermic‌‌needle‌‌model,‌‌ ‌
uses‌‌&‌‌gratifications‌)‌ ‌ ‌
● Todd‌‌Gitlin‌‌(1978):‌‌taking‌‌for‌‌granted‌‌“the‌‌ ‌
existing‌‌system‌‌of‌‌mass‌‌media‌‌ownership,‌‌ ● Focus‌‌on‌‌(systemic)‌‌power‌‌relations‌ ‌
control‌‌and‌‌purpose”‌‌(no‌‌critique‌‌of‌‌power)‌ ‌ ‌
● Hall‌‌(1982):‌‌assumes‌‌that‌‌media‌‌have‌‌to‌‌play‌‌ ‌
the‌‌function‌‌of‌‌expressing‌‌and‌‌reflecting‌‌the‌‌
● Engagement‌‌(resistance)‌ ‌
achieved‌‌consensus‌‌in‌‌society‌ ‌



1.2.‌‌Critical‌‌studies‌‌as‌‌a‌‌(non-linear)‌‌‘way‌‌of‌‌thinking’‌ ‌
Dialectical‌‌thinking‌ ‌
● ↔
Context‌‌ ‌‌linear‌‌causality‌‌(e‌ .g.‌‌effect‌‌studies‌)‌ ‌
● And/and‌‌↔‌‌or/or‌‌thinking‌‌(e‌ .g.‌‌structure‌‌vs.‌‌agency‌)‌ ‌
● Acknowledging‌‌complexity‌‌of‌‌social‌‌&‌‌media‌‌realities‌
● Acknowledging‌‌the‌‌limitation‌‌of‌‌our‌‌understanding‌‌of‌‌social‌‌reality‌ ‌


1.3.‌‌Critical‌‌studies’‌‌focus‌‌on‌‌power-relations‌ ‌
“The‌‌way‌‌how‌‌communication‌‌is‌‌embedded‌‌into‌‌relations‌‌of‌‌domination,‌‌but‌‌also‌‌about‌‌finding‌‌alternative‌‌conditions‌
of‌‌society‌‌and‌‌communication”‌‌(Nordenstreng,‌‌2016)‌ ‌

2‌ ‌

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1.4.‌‌The‌‌social‌‌shaping‌‌of‌‌critical‌‌studies‌ ‌
Academia‌‌is‌‌shaped‌‌by‌‌“worldviews,‌‌political‌‌goals‌‌and‌‌the‌‌world‌‌outside‌‌of‌‌academia”‌‌(Fuchs,‌‌2011)‌ ‌
E.g.‌‌“cyberspace”‌‌and‌‌“the‌‌global‌‌village”‌ ‌

What‌‌research‌‌gets‌‌funded?‌ ‌


1.5.‌‌Western‌‌perspectives‌‌dominate?‌ ‌


1.6.‌‌Self-Criticism?‌‌ ‌
“It‌‌means‌‌uncompromising‌‌criticism‌‌of‌‌everything;‌‌especially‌‌the‌‌existing‌‌powers‌‌in‌‌society,‌‌but‌‌also‌‌one’s‌‌own‌‌
thinking‌‌-‌‌thus‌‌encouraging‌‌self-criticism”‌‌(Nordenstreng,‌‌2016)‌ ‌

Many‌‌critical‌‌studies‌‌indulge‌‌in‌‌self-contemplation‌‌or‌‌even‌‌self-prophecy‌‌instead‌‌of‌‌self-criticism‌ ‌


1.7.‌‌Historical‌‌origins‌‌of‌‌critical‌‌communication‌‌studies‌
● Political‌‌Economy‌‌of‌‌Communication:‌‌origins‌‌to‌‌be‌‌traced‌‌to‌‌19th‌‌C.‌‌Marxism‌ ‌
● Cultural‌‌Studies:‌‌origins‌‌to‌‌be‌‌traced‌‌the‌‌Frankfurter‌‌Schule‌‌(Interbellum)‌ ‌
● Cultural‌‌Studies‌‌emerged‌‌as‌‌a‌‌critique‌‌on‌‌political‌‌economy‌‌(structure‌‌vs.‌‌agency)‌ ‌


1.8.‌‌Critical‌‌studies:‌‌not‌‌a‌‌homogeneous‌‌field‌ ‌
● Repression‌‌hypothesis‌:‌‌media‌‌as‌‌a‌‌means‌‌for‌‌enforcing‌‌and‌‌deepening‌‌domination‌ ‌
● Manipulation‌‌hypothesis‌:‌‌media‌‌as‌‌tools‌‌that‌‌manipulate‌‌people‌ ‌
● Emancipation‌‌hypothesis‌:‌‌media‌‌as‌‌a‌‌means‌‌of‌‌criticizing‌‌domination‌ ‌
● Commodity‌‌hypothesis‌:‌‌media‌‌as‌‌spheres‌‌of‌‌capital‌‌accumulation‌ ‌
● Alternative‌‌media‌‌hypothesis‌:‌‌there‌‌are‌‌alternative‌‌ways‌‌of‌‌doing‌‌and‌‌making‌‌media‌ ‌
● Reception‌‌hypothesis‌:‌‌potential‌‌for‌‌oppositional‌‌interpretations‌‌and‌‌actions‌ ‌



2.‌‌Critical‌‌communication‌‌studies‌‌as‌‌an‌‌epistemology‌‌and‌‌research‌‌paradigm‌ ‌
2.1.‌‌Epistemology:‌‌positivism,‌‌interpretivism‌‌ ‌
Epistemology:‌‌the‌‌nature‌‌of‌‌knowledge‌ ‌

Positivism‌ ‌ Interpretivism‌ ‌

Investigating‌‌the‌‌social‌‌and‌‌cultural‌‌world‌‌is‌‌no‌‌different‌‌ Social‌‌sciences‌‌fundamentally‌‌different‌‌from‌‌natural‌‌
in‌‌principle‌‌to‌‌investigating‌‌the‌‌natural‌‌world‌ ‌ sciences‌ ‌

Social‌‌world‌‌is‌‌patterned‌‌and‌‌thus‌‌predictable‌ ‌ Focus‌‌on‌‌how‌‌people‌‌make‌‌sense‌‌of‌‌their‌‌social‌‌worlds‌‌
and‌‌how‌‌they‌‌express‌‌these‌‌understandings‌‌(meaningà‌ ‌

‘Truth’‌‌is‌‌constructed‌‌in‌‌social‌‌interaction:‌‌‘facts’‌‌never‌‌
speak‌‌for‌‌themselves‌ ‌


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2.2.‌‌Varieties‌‌in‌‌the‌‌critical‌‌paradigm‌ ‌

Critical‌‌Realism‌ ‌ Critical‌‌Social‌‌Constructionism‌ ‌

Things‌‌exist‌‌apart‌‌from‌‌our‌‌experience‌‌and‌‌ ↔‌‌any‌‌truth‌‌claims‌ ‌
interpretation‌ ‌
Focus‌‌on‌‌ideology‌‌critique‌‌and‌‌deconstruction‌ ‌
Focus‌‌on‌‌the‌‌material‌‌world:‌‌resource,‌‌distribution‌‌and‌‌
social‌‌struggles‌ ‌


2.3.‌‌What‌‌is‌‌a‌‌paradigm?‌‌
A‌‌paradigm‌‌is‌‌an‌‌intellectual‌‌lens/thought‌‌pattern/organizing‌‌principle‌‌on‌‌a‌‌subject‌‌matter‌‌within‌‌a‌‌science‌‌ ‌


Mainstream‌ ‌ Critical‌ ‌

Consensus‌ ‌ Conflict‌ ‌

Equilibrium‌‌ ‌ Contradictions/tensions‌ ‌


2.4.‌‌Three‌‌paradigms‌‌in‌‌Communication‌‌Studies‌ ‌




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Cultural‌‌Studies‌ ‌ Political‌‌Economy‌ ‌

Society‌‌as‌‌a‌‌terrain‌‌of‌‌domination‌‌and‌‌resistance‌‌and‌‌ Central‌‌focus‌‌of‌‌analyses‌‌are‌‌on‌‌the‌‌one‌‌hand‌‌the‌‌
engages‌‌in‌‌critique‌‌of‌‌domination‌‌and‌‌of‌‌the‌‌ways‌‌that‌‌ specific‌‌developments‌‌in‌‌media‌‌production,‌‌
media‌‌culture‌‌engages‌‌in‌‌reproducing‌‌relationships‌‌of‌‌ -distribution,-‌‌and‌‌consumption,‌‌on‌‌the‌‌other‌‌hand‌‌their‌‌
domination‌‌and‌‌oppression.‌‌ ‌ functions‌‌for‌‌the‌‌development‌‌of‌‌the‌‌total‌‌capitalist‌‌
‌ economic‌‌and‌‌societal‌‌system.‌ ‌

Kellner,‌‌2005‌ ‌ Knoche,‌‌2005‌ ‌

‌
“The‌d
‌ ebate‌b
‌ etween‌c‌ ultural‌s‌ tudies‌s‌ cholars‌a‌ nd‌c‌ ritical‌p
‌ olitical‌e‌ conomy‌s‌ cholars‌i‌n‌c‌ ommunication‌s‌ tudies‌(‌ Ferguson‌a‌ nd‌‌
Golding‌1
‌ 997;‌G
‌ arnham‌1
‌ 998;‌G
‌ rossberg‌1
‌ 998)‌h
‌ as‌f‌ or‌e‌ xample‌s‌ hown‌t‌ hat‌t‌ here‌a‌ re‌l‌arge‌d
‌ ifferences‌b
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But‌t‌ he‌‌d
‌ anger‌‌t‌ hat‌l‌ies‌i‌n‌s‌ uch‌c‌ onflicts‌i‌s‌t‌ hat‌c‌ ritical‌s‌ tudies‌b
‌ ecome‌‌f‌ ragmented‌a‌ nd‌s‌ elf-centred‌a‌ nd‌t‌ herefore‌w
‌ eakened‌i‌n‌‌
questioning‌t‌ he‌u
‌ ncritical‌m
‌ ainstream.‌T‌ herefore,‌b
‌ asic‌c‌ ategories‌a‌ nd‌a‌ ‌t‌ ypology‌c‌ an‌h
‌ elp‌t‌ o‌u
‌ nite‌v‌ arious‌c‌ ritical‌a‌ pproaches‌b
‌ y‌‌
showing‌t‌ heir‌c‌ onnectedness‌a‌ nd‌a‌ t‌t‌ he‌s‌ ame‌t‌ ime‌t‌ heir‌d
‌ ifferences‌(‌ unity‌i‌n‌p
‌ lurality)‌”‌ ‌
-‌F‌ uchs,‌2
‌ 011‌ ‌‌


4‌ ‌

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