Processes of globalization - including the production and distribution of media - impact individuals, communities, cultures, and the environment.
Research in this area examines the role of media as it crosses geographic, cultural, group and political borders. It explores the role of media in processes of globalization and processes of social change.
How do differing forms of media production - from community-produced media to transnational media corporations - influence culture, conflict, and political power? How do they influence global human rights challenges such as food security, gender equality, peace and conflict, public health, social justice and environmental sustainability? How can communication and media engage local citizens to participate in social change, advocacy, social movements, empowerment and activism? Interpersonal communication is examined with regard to intercultural phenomena as well as intergroup conflict, negotiation, and peacebuilding contexts.
recent research by our faculty has addressed:
- The role of local music in political engagement
- The role of communication in social movements
- The influence of media on cultural identity
- Environmental communication
- The political economy of global media industries
- Intercultural communication
- Interpersonal communication
- Intergroup conflict, negotiation, and peacebuilding
- Variations in social networks and relational obligations across cultures
- Public sphere deliberation and discourse in comparative global contexts
- How the U.S. news media represents populations of the global south
- The relationship between local participation and political and social change
- The use of alternative media, community media, and citizens’ media for social change and empowerment
- How processes of globalization intersect with gender, race, class, ethnicity and sexual orientation
- Social and behavior change communication interventions
- The impact of new technologies on urban revitalization
