In today's media-saturated world, identities are no longer built solely within the close-knit communities of family, neighborhood, school, and work. Today media are part of our world and therefore play an important role in the formulations of our identities or constructions of self. In a truly postmodern mode, Constructing the Self in a Mediated World not only brings together the usually segregated areas of interpersonal and mass communication but also incorporates works from scholars in sociology, psychology, and women's studies as well. Each essay examines our understanding of self in a different context of mediated culture within a specific framework of interpretive theories such as critical theory, social constructionist theory, and feminism. This volume provides insights into issues of self and identity in contemporary mediated culture. Designed for advanced students and experienced researchers in communication (both media and interpersonal), sociology, psychology, and women's studies. Constructing the Self in a Mediated World raises important questions and contributes greatly to its field. Thomas R. Lindlof is a Professor in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky. He received his B.A. from the University of Florida, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to joining the University of Kentucky faculty, he served on the faculty at the Pennsylvania State University. His research and graduate teaching are focused on the cultural analysis of mediated communication, media audience theory and research, social uses of communication technology, and interpretive research methods. His research has appeared in numerous scholarly outlets, including Communication Research, the Journal of Communication, the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, Journalism Quarterly, Journalism Studies, the Journal of Media and Religion, the Social Science Computer Review, and Communication Yearbook. He has served as the editor of the Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and currently serves on the editorial boards of four journals. He has written or edited five books. His latest book, Hollywood under Siege: Martin Scorsese, the Religious Right, and the Culture Wars, was published by the University Press of Kentucky in 2008. |