1st Edition

The Spiral of Silence New Perspectives on Communication and Public Opinion

Edited By Wolfgang Donsbach, Charles T. Salmon, Yariv Tsfati Copyright 2014
    248 Pages
    by Routledge

    246 Pages
    by Routledge

    Since its original articulation in the early 1970s, the 'spiral of silence' theory has become one of the most studied theories of communication and public opinion. It has been tested in varied sociopolitical contexts, with different issues and across communication systems around the world. Attracting the interest of scholars from communication, political science, sociology, public opinion and psychology, it has become both the subject of tempestuous academic debate as well as a mainstay in courses on communication theory globally.

    Reflecting substantial new thinking, this collection provides a comprehensive examination of the spiral of silence theory, offering a synthesis of prior research as well as a solid platform for future study. It addresses various ideological and methodological criticisms of the theory, links the theory with allied areas of scholarship, and provides analyses of empirical tests. Contributors join together to present a breadth of disciplinary and international perspectives. As a distinctive and innovative examination of this influential theory, this volume serves as a key resource for future research and scholarship in communicaiton, public opinion, and political science.

    Introduction: Wolfgang Donsbach, Charles Salmon, Yariv Tsfati

    Part I: Contexts for the Study of Spiral of Silence Research

    1. Public opinion and social control: Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann

    2. Paradigm shifts in the study of media effects: Denis McQuail, University of Amsterdam

    3. The social nature of man: Psychological foundations of the spiral of silence theory: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Claremont Graduate University

    4. Media and public opinion in the fragmented society: Patricia Moy, University of Washington

    5. The spiral of silence: Ideology, politics and social theory: John Durham Peters, University of Iowa

    6. Social exchange in the public sphere: A deliberative model of public opinion: Gerald Hauser, University of Colorado

    7. Hearing the other side: Diana Mutz, University of Pennsylvania

    Part II: Allied Research Traditions

    8. The third-person effect and spiral of silence: Albert Gunther, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    9. Social networks research and the spiral of silence: Chip Eveland, Ohio State University

    10. Agenda setting, framing, priming and the spiral of silence: Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin-Madison

    11. Journalistic practices, role perceptions, bias in the media: Hans Mathias Kepplinger, Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet

    12. Opinion Leadership and public opinion:  Gabriel Weimann, Haifa University

    13. Propaganda, social movements and alternative expressions of public opinion: Kurt Lang and Gladys Engel Lang, University of Washington

    14. Kuuki theory and the spiral-of-silence: Youichi Ito, Akita International University

    15. World Public Opinion: Frank Rusciano, Rutgers University

    16. Communication and opinion expression in online environments: Patrick Roessler, University of Erfurt

    Part III: Enduring and Emerging Issues

    17. A meta-analysis of empirical findings: Carroll Glynn , Ohio State University

    18. Methodological conundrums in spiral of silence research: Andrew Hayes, Ohio State University and Jörg Matthes, University of Zurich

    19. Spiral of silence across different cultures: Benjamin Detenber , Nanyang Technological University

    20. Empirical evidence on SOS in Asian context: Robert Chung, University of Hong Kong

    21. Empirical evidence on the spiral of silence in the Middle East: Jacob Shamir, Hebrew University

    22. The spiral of silence in Latin America: Marta Lagos, LATINBAROMETRO, Chile

    23. How the spiral of silence applies to Africa: Robert Mattes, University of Cape Town

    24. Spiral of silence and political change in the Middle East: Author TBA

    Part IV: Conclusion

    25. Open questions and future directions in spiral of silence research: Wolfgang Donsbach, Yariv Tsfati, Charles Salmon

    Biography

    Wolfgang Donsbach is professor of communication at the Department of Media and Communication at Dresden University of Technology, Germany.

    Charles T. Salmon is Professor and Director of Graduate Research Programmes in the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

    Yariv Tsfati is Associate Professor at the Department of Communication, University of Haifa, Israel.