Audience Research and Sociology: A Rejoinder to Stephen Crook

Abstract

I am indebted to Stephen Crook for the opportunity to expand the position I presented in ‘What's Happening to Audience Research?’ (MIA, 39:18–22, 1986). I believe that dramatic changes are occurring in the range and scope of studies of media audiences, and that academic audience research (as opposed to research funded for commercial or administrative purposes) has an important role to play in enabling audiences to better understand their attachment to and involvement in media activities. Recent research which demonstrates such interests include Morely (1980 and 1985) Hobson (1982) Ang (1985) Radway (1984), and Hodge and Tripp (1986).