A Study Of Social Development And Communication In America’s Progressive Era

The Progressive Era, as an important period to transform America into a modern country in history, witnessed the social production relation developing in the process of industrialization and urbanization. The liberation of production power by technology revolution fostered the trust company with new management system, and the agricultural society was led to modern social system. Driven by interest, the ruling class deviated social management out of the right order. Therefore, a series of reforms were applied for the purpose of adjusting social development.Considering the complicated interaction of communication and social development, audiences started to form and develop in the case of city population expanding and personal quality improved, which activated audiences in communication. The professionalization trend of education strengthened the pragmatic spirits in America, especially the professionalism in journalism education.The concept of communication in early America defined people’s understanding to communication technology. Idealism influenced the perception of communication while social life changed with developing of communication technology like printing, radio and photograph. The commercialization of communication practice lied in the rise of new journalism. Meanwhile, advertisement, as typical commercial way, enhanced its effect and weakened the dividing line with journalism. Film industry developed strongly meeting the increase of social need. For its huge influence, mass communication was used by political groups to promote social movements via social mobilization or exploring social reality. Mass media activated the formation of mass society and change the social spirits.The theoretical trends in progressive era rooted in liberalism from early philosophers’ thoughts on human rights and public life. The concerns of public opinions made two opposite standpoints represented by Dewey and Lippmann, who left different social programming and debates till today. For the general consideration of Chicago School, its academic insights and developing history not only reflected the social history, but the originated the modern discipline of Communication Study.According to the research approach and inner logic, this paper presents8chapters as followed:Chapter1:Based on the general introduction of research goal, research approaches, and structure arrangement, this chapter reviews the literature and illustrates the research significance.Chapter2:It presents the social life change under the background of industrialization and urbanization, focuses on technology improvement and rural life change, which includes negative sides.Chapter3:It studies audiences in communication, who consisted of farmers, immigrants or women in cities. They received higher education to meet social demands. Professionalism are the key part of journalism education. Active audiences could be seen in women movement.Chapter4:Besides the spirits of Science and Rationalism, communication technology started from hypnotism, telegraph and radio, and constructs the social relation.Chapter5:It presents the commercialization of communication practice, which began with penny press. Advertisement and film entered mass communication meeting people’s needs.Chapter6:it explores the social reality in progressive, the consuming community replaced old social network as new liaison. The individualism, nationalism, and traditional pragmatism were the supporting ideology and keys to social problems.Chapter7:It traces back to liberalism by reviewing the key scholars and the theory essences, including rights, democracy, public opinions. The debates between Dewey and Lippmann is the typical understanding communication problems from opposite standing points. It reviews the historical position of Chicago School, and attributes its dedication to Communication Study as a meta-theoretical approach to research questions.Chapter8:Compared with communication and social development in America’s Progressive Era, it presents the situation in China after Reform and Open Era and concludes the theoretical significance.