Hjarvard, Stig. The Mediatization of Culture and Society.

McAnany, Emile G.

Hjarvard, Stig. The Mediatization of Culture and Society. London and New York: Routledge, 2013. Pp. viii, 173. ISBN 978-0-415-69236-6 (cloth) $120.00; 978-415-69273-3 (paper) $39.95; e-book also available from publisher.

The concept of mediatization has been around in the communication literature for a decade or more, and Stig Hjarvard's book tries to tie it all together in this brief volume. We should note, however, that the term seems more European than American and more sociological than communicational. Still, it has been tested empirically in several fields and holds important theoretical insights for communication scholars outside of Europe.

The author makes some clarifications early in his book. First he argues that "mediatization theory differs from both [effects and cultural studies] traditions" (p. 2) because mediatization studies "how social institutions and cultural processes have changed character, function, and structure in response to the omnipresence of the media" (ibid.). In other words, mediatization refers to how media impacts institutions and not individuals. Furthermore, he argues that "Mediatization should be viewed as a modernization process on a par with globalization, urbanization, and individualization, whereby the media, in a similar way, contribute to both disembedding social relations from existing contexts and re-embedding them in new social contexts" (p. 7). He adds that this theory is one of long term change that media cause and not the short term concerns of either media effects theory or that of cultural studies.

Early in Chapter 2, Hjarvard tries to make a clear and straightforward definition by saying that "By the mediatization of culture and society we understand the process whereby culture and society to an increasing degree become dependent on the media and their logic" (p. 17). Moreover, he posits that media have become both independent institutions as well as becoming so implicated in other institutions (like politics, religion, childhood play, and even individualization) that these must conform to the media's logic. There is an extended analysis of a variety of consequences of mediatization including an early disclaimer that the theory is a "non-normative concept" (p. 18) in contrast to more critical theories of media that he will return to at the end of the book. Most of the discussion here is at a general level that briefly argues that the media in modern industrialized society "alter interaction," "restructure social norms," create a new virtual "social geography," and a "realm of shared experience" (pp. 30-39). How these changes take place is left to subsequent chapters that takes more empirical evidence from a variety of authors about the mediatization of politics (Ch. 3), religion (Ch. 4), children's play (Ch. 5), and of "habitus" or the "social character of a new individualism" (Ch. 6).

The chapter on politics seems the most substantial for two reasons: The author seems closer professionally with journalism and politics, and the institution of politics seems the most susceptible to media influence. He cites a phased change of this process: First the media become the primary source of political information; then the "media become independent of political institutions, and journalists acquire a greater degree of autonomy"; then the political institution begins to accommodate to the demands and schedules of media; and finally politicians "internalize the media logic to such an extent part and parcel of everyday political thinking and action, including the development of political ideas and priorities" (p. 45). This and other arguments claim empirical evidence but in a book so brief the reader is forced to take this for granted. one can understand the change suggested but the discussion remains abstract and general. There is a discussion of new media as extending the political communication network, the rise of the politics of visibility, the personalization of politics, and conversational politics. At the end of the chapter, the author seems called upon to state that the theory does not mean that the media have won out over the politician or party, but that the question of power remains to be determined on a case by case basis.

The chapter on religion and mediatization seems quite limited as most of the discussion centers on the role of the Protestant Church in Denmark and the empirical data come from surveys in that country. Not that the discussion of the general role of media on religion is not useful and some of the conclusions are not generally valid, but the historical circumstance of each society may be quite different.

What Hjarvard does in his chapter on play is to follow the case of LEGO toys in his native Denmark to explore his theory. He presents good evidence from a variety of researchers that indicates a significant change of childhood experience of play in the last century and especially since the marketing of toys began in earnest since the mid-20th century. LEGO is a good example and provides an insight into not only the manufacturing of toys and play but the role of media in the marketing of those toys over the past 30 years or more. From simple building block of the original LEGO toys, the industry became media driven by first creating imaginary universes from different media genres, then by creating narratives that suggested the connection of building stories that told the stories of the media until finally the LEGO play went online where the building was virtual. All of this process in turn affected children's play and their social development.

The author finally goes from external social and cultural institutions to the psycho-social development of identity in Chapter 6. Here he begins with Bourdieu but quickly turns to Riesman's classic The Lonely Crowd (1950) and his inner-directed and outer-directed social character exemplars. In this analysis, the author feels that Riesman made an early attempt at explaining how people at mid-century were beginning to look outward to the media and other modernizing institutions that helped guide inner definition from external institutions. Where before individuals were socialized in tradition of religion and morals to be more inner-directed, Riesman saw that in this period they were being less guided by tradition and were looking for other forms. Thus the author argues that

   the formation of habitus is to a greater extent
   shaped through interaction with contemporary
   society [greatly abetted by modern media].
   Second, habitus is reproduced through an intensified
   monitoring of an extended social environment,
   and third, recognition becomes an important
   regulatory mechanism for the development
   of self-esteem and behavior. (p. 147)

The modern individual forms what the author calls a "soft individualism" or one where the individual must write one's own biography rather than have it provided by former traditional institutions.

The final brief summary in Chapter 7 (Epilog) is a summary but also reverts to media politics that he mentioned at the beginning, that is, how should communication policies be developed that control some of the media power that has been at the heart of the book's theory of mediatization. Although Hjarvard gives less than two pages to the subject, it is clear that he recognizes a question that has driven many other contemporary theories of media. His discussion does no more than acknowledging the issue which he leaves to others to resolve even though he calls for policies to deal with both institutional and individual threats of media to modern life.

The book contains a reasonable index and a large bibliography.

Reference

Riesman, D. The lonely crowd: A study of the changing American character. New York: Doubleday, 1950.

--Emile G. McAnany

Santa Clara University