Dialectics between Media and Civilization: “Discourse Networks” and Friedrich Kittler’s Theory of Media Materialism

ZHANG Yuchen

Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2016, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1) : 76-87.

PDF(1575 KB)
PDF(1575 KB)
Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication ›› 2016, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1) : 76-87.

Dialectics between Media and Civilization: “Discourse Networks” and Friedrich Kittler’s Theory of Media Materialism

  • Zhang Yuchen is a PhD student at the School of Journalism, Fudan University. Email: zhangyuchen13@fudan.edu.cn.
Author information +
History +

Abstract

Friedrich Kittler is an important media theorist in Germany. He crossed the barrier between humanity and technology, and constructed unique media theory which echoes North American media ecology. Advancing Foucault’s discourse theory, he used “discourse networks” as a key concept, and analyzed the leading media, discourse networks and their influences on culture and society in the two discourse networks periods in Germany. Kittler focused on the dialectic relationship between media as the base and discourse networks as the superstructure, and he found that the interaction between the media and discourse networks was a driving force of civilization. This paper argues that this dialectic could be regarded as the theory of “media materialism”. Rethinking Kittler’s “discourse networks” means that we should broaden the research horizon and renovate research paradigm of contemporary Chinese communication studies.

Key words

Media theory / Discourse networks / Media ecology / Friedrich Kittler / Michel Foucault / Marshall McLuhan

Cite this article

Download Citations
ZHANG Yuchen. Dialectics between Media and Civilization: “Discourse Networks” and Friedrich Kittler’s Theory of Media Materialism[J]. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication. 2016, 38(1): 76-87
PDF(1575 KB)

Accesses

Citation

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/