Communication Research—A Half-Century Appraisal

Abstract

Communication research, a relatively new field of scholarly endeavor, began about fifty years ago with some of the pioneering studies by Paul Lazarsfeld and others. Today it has become central to almost all national development efforts and to studies of the organizational structures of industrial societies. In what has been termed by many scholars the "Age of Communication," it is timely and appropriate that an appraisal be made of past accomplishments and failures as the basis for determining future directions and potential of communication research. This book makes such an appraisal and assesses the present state of the various areas of communication research. Written by world authorities in the major areas of communication research, chapters cover the diversity of the field: the impact of modern communication on traditional cultures and the spread of "open learning" systems; intriguing ideas such as that of Charles E. Osgood, whose "How Should a University Be?" provides a blueprint for reorganizing the university, and that of Harold D. Lasswell, whose "Building as Political Communication" views architecture as symbolic of power and shows how building has been manipulated to reinforce power. It is fitting that this book be dedicated to Wilbur Schramm, whose contributions, perhaps more than those of any other person, have brought the field of communication research to international prominence.

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