Action Theory and Communication Research: Recent Developments in Europe (Communications Monograph, Vol. 3)

The action theoretical approach has already proved its value as a framework for communication research, most especially in the study of media audiences and media use. The approach privileges the perspective of the acting individual but offers guidelines for connecting the subjective orientation with networks of social interaction and for treating 'behaviour' as a social process. Research within this framework takes account of the wider social context and calls for a careful combination of empirical observation and interpretation, with a corresponding diversity of methodologies. The contributions to the volume shed light on the significance of media use in everyday experience and contribute to an understanding of communication in society.