The origins and growth of mass communication research in Latin America.

摘要

This dissertation aims to understand the development of mass communication research in Latin America by identifying (1) the factors that determined the kinds of studies that emerged in the region, (2) the major research topics, (3) the most influential authors, and (4) the main currents of theoretical influence on Latin American communication scholars, probing their changes over time.;The data come from four main sources: (1) a survey conducted among Latin American scholars (N = 50), to determine their opinions about the origins, growth, and present state of communication research in the region; (2) a survey conducted among U.S. scholars with experience in Latin America (N = 51), to determine the same information as above but from a point of view that we suspect is somewhat different from that within the region; (3) a citation analysis of the main communication journals to determine the different intellectual influences on Latin American communication scholars; and (4) a content analysis of research published in seven major English language communication journals, and ten major Latin American journals to determine the main topics studied by each group of scholars.;Structurally, this dissertation has seven parts. Chapter I introduces the topic and discusses the purpose, central research questions, and research methods. Chapter II deals with the way in which the different research traditions have grown in the region, as well as with the characteristics of the various studies conducted so far on the growth of communication research in Latin America. Chapter III describes the various methods of data collection and data analysis used in the present study. Chapters IV through VI present the major research findings regarding the following issues: (1) stages of development of communication research in Latin America, internal and external factors that determined the emergence of the discipline in the region, its milestones, and major changes over time; (2) major Latin American communication journals and research topics, most influential authors, and countries where research has been conducted; (3) main obstacles to communication research in Latin America, present state of the discipline, and expected changes for the near future. Finally, Chapter VII discusses the results at length, summarizes the main findings, considers some practical and theoretical implications of the study, and suggests further research.