The Analytical Potential of the Information and Communication Universe Concept

The article is devoted to the analysis of theoretical models that describe and explain the processes taking place in the field of mass communications. The article proves that generally accepted analytical models are no longer able to give a holistic and convincing explanation of the situation in modern mass communications. As a promising analytical toolkit, the concept of an information and communication universe is proposed. The history of the formation of this concept, structural and substantial features of the system designated by this concept are shown. According to the author, the information and communication universe is a complex, self-developing system, similar to such systems as populations, biogeocenoses, social institutions, etc. The information and communication universe has its own rhythms of functioning, similar to the pulsation of the universe, the tides of the ocean, the alternation of seasons, cycles of economic development, etc. Exploring these rhythms is one of the most important tasks of communication science. Considering the information and communication universe as a self-developing system, the author-relying on the works of Marshall McLuhan and other researchers-identified five stages (eras) of the development of this system: the preliterate stage, the handwritten text stage, the printed text stage, the stage of electronic communications, and the stage of computer communications. Offering a new concept of studying the processes currently taking place in mass communications, the author emphasizes that the proposed approach has some methodological limitations that minimize the ambitions of researchers in the field of studying communication processes.

Keywords

Authors

References