Why Sociology Abandoned Communication

This paper considers the possibility that early sociological interest in the integrative role of mass communication may have been undermined (1) by the short-run study of media “campaigns,” and the declaration that such persuasive efforts have only “limited effect”; (2) by the wrangling over theories of “mass society”; and (3) by a quasi-journalistic emphasis on “media events.” In spite of the theoretical basis for reconciling these traditions, the rift over the academic locus of communications research has not been repaired.     

Patterns Of Segmentation And Intersection In The Computing World*

Differentiation of the computing world is discussed in terms of the major lines of segmentation and cleavage which generate sub-worlds within the larger computing world context. The relationship of one particular pattern of cleavages—the production system—is described vis-vis other lines of cleavage and segmentation. Patterns of intersection among sub-worlds generated by these lines of cleavage are also discussed, and the implications of these intersections for the organization of the production system are described. Patterns of intersection are conceptualized as systems of interlocked negotiating contexts, whose attributes shape the outcomes of computing work.