Explaining public communication change: A structure–actor model

Abstract

Public communication change (PCC) is often studied in communication research with a somewhat narrow conceptual focus, for instance, either on the contingency or on the determination of communication development. I argue that instead of considering the various extant theoretical approaches as competing and irreconcilable, the field should strive for a holistic understanding that helps integrate them. I consider PCC as a process that unfolds over time in complex multilevel dynamics between macro-level structural transformations and the decisions and resulting behaviors of individual and collective actors. I propose a structure–actor model of PCC that accounts for both, determined and contingent processes simultaneously. It is also able to explain the emergence of paradox phenomena and collective misjudgments despite better knowledge. I conclude by using examples from the context of the “filter bubble” phenomenon to illustrate the heuristic value of the developed model and sketch an empirical research agenda that follows from its arguments.