Sociología de la comunicación

The emergence of what are called ‘new media’ and ‘social media’ is one of the most discussed topics in contemporary societies. Because media and public communication are mostly analyzed within particular theoretical frameworks and within specific disciplinary fields, polarized views have been created with cyberoptimists and celebrants on one side and cyberpessimists and skeptics on the other. Thus we lack an understanding of the interdependencies and convergence between disciplines and practices.
The second edition of this book expertly synthesizes competing theories and disciplinary viewpoints and examines the latest data, including international research from fast-growing markets such as China, to provide a comprehensive, holistic view of the twenty-first century media (r)evolution. Dr. Macnamara argues that the key changes are located in practices rather than technologies and that public communication practices are emergent in highly significant ways.
Engaging and accessible, this book is essential reading for scholars and professionals in media and communication and an invaluable text for courses in media studies, journalism, advertising, public relations and organisational and political communication.

Mediated Communities brings together a diverse, global cohort of academics and professional communicators to assess the current state of democratic mobilizing around the world and the ways in which protest movements are being transformed in the midst of a communication revolution. Contributors draw on a variety of international settings – from Greece to Lebanon, China to Argentina – to demonstrate the ways in which community organizing in the digital age relies increasingly on digital media to communicate, help participants find common ground, and fight for change. Contributors acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead for creating real and lasting democratic change, but at the same time are able to draw attention to the potential that digital media hold for strengthening citizen voices around the globe.

The Internet’s explosive growth over the past decade is nowhere more visible than in Asia. Fueled by an expanding middle class, thousands of people connect to the Internet for the first time each day to explore and discuss issues that are relevant to them and their lives.
This book provides an in-depth look at the impact of social media on political engagement among young citizens in this rapidly changing region of the world. Leading media scholars from nine Asian nations focus on three main questions:
How frequently do Asians use social media to access and discuss political information?
Does the use of social media increase political participation?
What political, social and cultural factors influence the impact of social media on political engagement in each nation?
To answer these questions, contributors first analyze the current state of social media in their nations and then present the findings of a cross-national survey on social media use that was conducted with over 3,510 Asian respondents. By employing a comparative approach, they analyze how social media function and interact with the cultural and political systems in each country – and how they might affect political engagement among individual citizens.

"We are invited to think about the now ubiquitous everyday practices of interpreting and producing narratives across a range of modalities. The result is a text that inspires readers to think in new ways about narratives, invites them to analyse narrative texts available on the Web and, for those who wish, suggests how best to employ specialist software."
– Ann Phoenix, Institute of Education, University of London

"It’s high time we have a book like this. Brian Alleyne has managed to produce the best, clearest, and most comprehensive overview of narrative theory for social scientists I have yet to see. I wish I’d had access to a book like this when I was a student. It would have made my life so much easier. It will surely become the universally recognised go-to book on the subject."
– David Graeber, London School of Economics & Political Science

Narrative is a fundamental means whereby we make sense of our own lives and of the world around us. The stories we tell, and are being told, shape our identities, relationships and world-views. In a rapidly changing digital society where blogging and social networking have become fundamental communication channels, the platforms for the creation and exchange of all kinds of narratives have greatly expanded.
This book responds to the dynamic production and consumption of stories of all kinds in popular and academic cultures. It offers a comprehensive discussion of the underlying philosophical and methodological issues of narrative and personal narrative research as well as applying these to the current digital landscape. The book provides practical guidance on data management and use of software for the narrative researcher.

Illustrated with examples from a range of fields and disciplines as well as the author’s own work on hacking cultures and cultural activism, this title is a must for anyone wanting to learn about narrative approaches in social research and how to conduct successful narrative research in a digital age.

"This book is distinctive for extending the usual sociological reach, reopening territory that has lain fallow, set aside from the well-ploughed fields of orthodox social theory. In doing so, Law not only produces fresh insight into familiar theorists but guards against collective forgetting of the sociological canon."
– Professor Bridget Fowler, University of Glasgow

"An excellent book, it will be welcomed and read widely by advanced undergraduates, postgraduates and scholars in sociology, cultural studies, social theory and beyond."
– Professor Chris Shilling, University of Kent

Social Theory for Today guides students through the ‘turns’ of past and present social theory as it attempts to wrestle with a recurring sense of crisis in social relations and social theory. Drawing on both classical and contemporary sources, Alex Law provides readers with a firm grasp of competing perspectives.

Too often social theories attempt to dominate the field by casting rival theorists, past and present, as deluded fools, while the more familiar ‘big names’ in social theory are subject to ever-increasing commentary that runs in ever-decreasing circles. This survey of social theory and crisis lessens the temptation to engage in internal theoretical polemics and esoteric wordplay. Social theory must become practical and specific if it is to become a means of orientation for uncertain times.

This is a must-read for upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students looking for a vibrant and extended understanding of social theory.

Esta introducción a la Sociología presenta algunos de los temas más importantes de la disciplina para iniciar al lector en general, y a los alumnos de los primeros cursos en particular, en el conocimiento de los conceptos, la lectura y las teorías que nos permiten acercarnos a la comprensión del comportamiento humano en la sociedad. Después de exponer la lectura que hacen algunos de los grandes clásicos de la sociedad moderna, estudiamos el grupo humano, la cultura y la socialización como elementos que configuran la estructura social –población, urbanismo, familia, clases, estratificación y cambio–, para terminar analizando tres ámbitos importantes del intercambio entre las personas, el trabajo, la comunicación y el poder. Sociología y Sociedad incorpora muchos temas de actualidad, como la globalización, la pobreza, los nuevos movimientos sociales o las últimas tecnologías de la comunicación, además de un Anexo de clases prácticas, que pretenden estimular la participación de los estudiantes y la mirada crítica de quienes desean mejorar su conocimiento del mundo actual.

¿Se seguirán editando libros? ¿La industria musical y la del cine desaparecerán debido a las descargas en Internet y la piratería? Estas dudas se iluminan de un modo nuevo al explorar los hábitos culturales y creativos de los jóvenes. El presente estudio trata de entender la lógica cambiante del consumo y se propone conocer cómo se organizan los artistas visuales, los editores independientes, los músicos y los jóvenes que ensayan en actividades nuevas. Su imaginativa invención de nichos laborales y el uso avanzado de tecnologías y redes sociales son recursos para hallar sitio cuando la cultura se expande y las nuevas generaciones reciben más educación, pero el actual modelo económico hace difícil que se incorporen. Esta obra revela cómo los jóvenes detectan las contradicciones u oportunidades.

Un volumen sobre la práctica del vídeo participativo y su relevancia en el entorno de los movimientos sociales en la actualidad. El libro ha sido escrito por los profesores David Montero y José Manuel Moreno, ambos miembros del Grupo Interdisciplinario de Estudios en Comunicación, Política y Cambio Social (COMPOLITICAS), que han venido trabajando en los terrenos del video digital, el activismo social y la comunicación para el desarrollo.

El cambio social a través de las imágenes. Guía para entender y utilizar el vídeo participativo ha sido co-editado por el Departamento de Periodismo I en colaboración con Los Libros de la Catarata, IEPALA y Consortium Local-Global. La guía pretende ser un instrumento de reflexión sobre el vídeo participativo, una propuesta metodológica que mezcla elementos educativos, producción audiovisual y objetivos de movilización y transformación social ante la necesidad de enfrentar patrones de desarrollo económico, políticos y sociales que han transformado la comunicación audiovisual en una forma de expresión ajena a la mayoría de nosotros. Además de una reflexión profunda sobre las características principales del vídeo participativo y su evolución histórica, la guía incluye una descripción de experiencias y ejemplos de relevancia, así como un material más práctico que pueda ser útil a las personas o colectivos que quieran abordar esta experiencia.

This book considers the lessons learnt so far from the emergence of the Internet and the development of the field of Internet studies, whilst also considering possible directions for the future. Examining broad media theories and emerging theorisations around the Internet specifically, it explores the possibility of the development of an Internet theory in the future. A comprehensive overview of the field, Internet Studies considers key issues of social importance that the study of the Internet draws upon, such as the role of the Internet in civic participation and democratisation, the development of virtual communities, digital divides and social inequality, as well as Internet governance and policy control. At the same time, it examines the role of the Internet in social research and the development of highly interdisciplinary and rapidly developing Internet research. Hence, this volume maps key areas of certainty and uncertainty in the field of Internet studies and, as such, it will be of interest to scholars and students of media and communication, sociology and social research methods.

El sector profesional de las Relaciones Públicas y la Comunicación Corporativa, al igual que la sociedad en general, se encuentra inmerso en una intensa transformación. El cambio de paradigmas económico, tecnológico, demográfico y social obligan a reflexionar en profundidad sobre cómo hacer frente a los nuevos retos impuestos por las turbulencias del cambio y así lo hacen en este libro dieciséis autores iberoamericanos, procedentes de Argentina, Brasil, España y México, abordando temas tan diversos como la medición y evaluación de las relaciones con los stakeholders y de los intangibles; el Lobbying; el Servicio de Atención al Usuario y la figura del Ombudsman; el uso de las técnicas y herramientas de Relaciones Públicas en una muestra de PYMES gallegas; el análisis de los websites de la Iglesia Católica en España y México; cómo afecta la constante transformación de las TIC al ejercicio profesional de los dircoms; y la situación de los nuevos grados de Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas en las universidades de la comunidad autónoma de Cataluña (España).