マス・コミュニケーション研究における「収斂」の問題

モーレイの理論をめぐって

抄録

　This paper is intended as an investigation of problems of "convergence" in Mass communication research. In this field, there have been many theoretical and methodological oppositions, such as following random examples: critical versus administrative research, the study of texts versus the study of audiences, and the use of qualitative versus quantitative methods, and so forth. However, over the last 10 years, the convergence of these oppositions has been increasingly the subject of controversy. According to Livingstone, the old polarities that had long structured the field have been finally transcended and cannot be returned to easily.
　The purpose of this paper is to reread the work of Morley with respect to "convergence". From this point of view, we can find various intersections of old polarities in the empirical audience research done by Morley. In his project, there are many attempts to bring together two lines of inquiry which have tended to be kept in strict isolation: the study of texts and the study of audiences, the questions of interpretation and the questions of use, the micro and the macro levels of analysis. But, ironically, the rereading of Morley in the context of "convergence" finally shows us the limit of "convergence".
　The myth of binary opposition tends to obscure the internal differences and reciprocal influences. Now, we can add the myth of "convergence" to this. In Mass communication research, the word of "convergence" tends to obscure the possibility that new oppositions come from intersections.