Mediennutzung als Soziales Handeln

Renckstorf, Karsten

doi:10.1007/978-3-322-83571-0_20

Cited by 38 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Thus, action theoretical approaches in mass communications research (see Anderson and Meyer, 1988;Charlton and Neumann, 1986;Renckstorf, 1989Renckstorf, , 1994Renckstorf, McQuail, and Jankowski, 1996;Renckstorf and Wester, 1992;Schoening and Anderson, 1995) more detailed perspective on the position of the mass media as a societal subsystem (Luhmann, 1996). Describing the mass media as (a) social system(s) is one thing (see for instance Renckstorf, 1994: 38), it is quite another to explain their functioning from the situation definitions of the actors involved, as action theory would have it.…”

Section: Conclusion: Action Theory Between Individualism and Collecti...mentioning

confidence: 99%

5 The foundation of communication and action in consciousness: Confronting action theory with systems theoretical arguments

Huysmans¹

2004

Action Theory and Communication Research

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In action theoretical approaches to the study of mass communication processes, media production and reception activity is interpreted (or 'explained') from the point of view of individual consciousness. The intentionality of the actor is viewed as the starting point for human (social) action. Communication is regarded as a process in which actors intentionally engage to exchange their minds' contents Ϫ and is therefore seen as a special case of human action. This view is challenged by Luhmann's social systems theory, which conceives of communication as taking place outside of consciousness. Although communication is a product of the mutual non-transparency of individual consciousnesses, both consciousness and communication should be seen as self-reproducing systems which cannot interfere in each other's operations. According to Luhmann, thoughts cannot be communicated Ϫ only communications can be communicated, and thoughts can merely be thought. Actions should be seen as the products of communication, namely of the attribution (be it through communication or through thinking) of social descriptions to systems. Although it may appear to be a fundamental issue, this difference in opinion between action and systems theory can be made productive. In this article, arguments are presented for incorporating Luhmann's view of consciousness and communication as separate, but mutually observing systems into action theoretical approaches.

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