Networks, Society, and Polis: Epistemological Approaches on Mediatization

Vera V. França 40 ral dimension in the analysis of communicative processes is es- sential to perceive changes and permanence. In this sense, un- derstanding the dynamics of the present (the mediatization of our time) implies combining two movements. The first is a dia - chronic approach: the now is the result and unfolding of other phases, of many practices, large and small changes over time. Current configurations did not result from spontaneous and in - dependent inventions but were motivated and inserted in the experiences, behaviors, and techniques that followed. The second movement is synchronous: changes do not occur homogeneously everywhere and at the same pace. It is as if many times coexist in a multifaceted present, times that are no longer isolated but connect and influence each other. - Observation of the intertwining of the multiple dy- namics that animate social life. Reiterating what has been said throughout this reflection, we defend as a basic guideline of com - municational studies a necessary contextual insertion – which means thinking about communication in society. Discussions about mediatization encourage us to think about the penetra- tion of media logics in the different fields of social life, the inter - twining between the different practices that shape social life. It is not a matter of “sociologizing” communication but studying the communicative processes without losing sight of the interac- tive framework (positioning of the interlocutors, situation) and its broader context. This has been the approach of authors, such as Hjarvard and Hepp, among others, on the theme of mediatiza- tion, and should remain as an important guideline for any study on the media today. References BOLIN, G. The Rhythmof Ages: Analyzing Mediatization Through the Lens of Generations Across Cultures. International Journal of Co munication , v. 10, p. 5252-5269, 2016. BRAGA, J. L. Mediatização como processo interacional de refe- rência. ANIMUS – Revista interamericana de comunicação midiática, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Centro de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, v. V, n. 2, p. 9-35, Jul./Dec.