HAM_F_01 Media Use and Social Cohesion

Objectives/ Research Questions

The main questions of the project are, How do people in different social situations use different media, and how do they contribute to the emergence of public spheres and social cohesion?

The project relies on various empirical data to examine how subgroups of society (both within Germany and in international comparison) relate to each other in terms of communication. Based on these findings, we will examine how communication contributes to processes of social integration and fragmentation. Furthermore, we will reflect on these findings with regard to their consequences for (constitutional) media law and media policy.

Thematic Reference to Social Cohesion

The project is based on the assumption that the way people use different communication media and thereby relate to different publics, groups, and individuals is a decisive factor in the construction of social cohesion. Considering the permeable borders between public and private communication, the idea of a person’s social integration being reflected in his or her personal networks, on the one hand, and in his or her participation in public communication through the reception of mass media, on the other hand, is outdated. If we want to understand the contribution of individual media users to the construction of social cohesion in today’s media environment, we need a more differentiated analysis of the practices by which individuals relate to different public spheres. The analysis of individual “repertoires of public connection” can also serve as a conceptual bridge to the description of public spheres and the analysis of their cohesion. Thus, the project focuses particularly on (media-related) practices and the interwoven networks of relationships as decisive factors that create social cohesion. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of social cohesion, both in terms of conceptual theory and empirical analysis.