Body Agenda and the Future of Communication Studies

Key words: body, communication studies, post humanism, virtual reality

Abstract：

Body is ignored almost all the time in orthodox communication studies. This paper aims to describe the origins and vision of body agenda in communication studies and trying to arouse researchers’ interests in it. Firstly, the intellectual history of body issue in communication studies is traced. Then some relevant theoretic resources such as McLuhan’s media theory, media archaeology, cybernetics and post humanism were reviewed. Last, by the light of post humanism narratives in popular culture, the significance of body issue in communication studies and how it can be unfolded is speculated from the viewpoint of the future. The conclusion is that for communication studies, body agenda is either a challenge or an opportunity because our attitude to it will influence the value and significance of communication studies in the future.

Published in Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication, Issue 02, 2018

Author:

Liu Hailong, Professor, School of Journalism and Communication, Renmin University of China, Deputy director, Research Center of Journalism and Social Development, Renmin University of China.