Rumor mills : the social impact of rumor and legend
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Rumor mills : the social impact of rumor and legend
AldineTransaction, c2005
- : cloth
- : paper
Available at 3 libraries
  Aomori
  Iwate
  Miyagi
  Akita
  Yamagata
  Fukushima
  Ibaraki
  Tochigi
  Gunma
  Saitama
  Chiba
  Tokyo
  Kanagawa
  Niigata
  Toyama
  Ishikawa
  Fukui
  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
  Mie
  Shiga
  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
  China
  Thailand
  United Kingdom
  Germany
  Switzerland
  France
  Belgium
  Netherlands
  Sweden
  Norway
  United States of America
Note
Series title on CIP data: Social problems and social issues
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
The goal of this volume is to explore the social and political dynamics of rumor and the related concept of urban or contemporary legend. These forms of communication often appear in tandem with social problems, including riots, racial or political violence, and social and economic upheavals. The volume emphasizes the connection of rumor to a set of social concerns from government corruption and corporate scandal, to racial, religious, and other prejudices. Central to the dialogue are issues of truth, belief, history, public policy, and evidence.
Rumor has been recognized as one of the most important contributing factors to violence and discrimination. Yet, despite its significance in exacerbating social discord and mistrust, little systematic scholarly attention has been paid to the political origins and consequences of rumor. Rumor is defined as a proposition for belief that is not backed by secure standards of evidence. Rumor can be traditional or not, and can be expressed as a simple claim of fact. In both instances groups of claim-makers, operating out of their own interests and with a set of resources, attempt to depict reality, and if possible, impact the future.
The need for this book is underscored by changing patterns of technology. What in the past was grounded in face- to-face interaction is now often found on the Internet, which is a major source of rumor. An appreciation of how new electronic forms of communication affect communal belief is essential for explicating rumor dynamics. The volume is comprehensive. Essays cover race and ethnicity, migration and globalization, corporate malfeasance, and state and government corruption. While editors and contributors well appreciate the dynamic nature of rumors and legends, the high quality of the effort make it evident that the issues that are raised and reoccur will serve to channel and inspire research in this major field of communications research for years to come.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- I: The Social Production of Conflict and Prejudice
- Introduction
- 1: Dramatic Rumors and Truthful Appearances
- 2: Rumors in Times of War and Cataclysm
- 3: Rumors and Religious Riots
- 4: Mafia in Meran?
- II: The Spread of Rumors
- Introduction
- 5: Psychological Motivations in Rumor Spread
- 6: From Evil Others to Evil Elites
- 7: Legend/AntiLegend
- 8: How Rumor Begets Rumor
- 9: The Effects of Legends, Rumors, and Related Genres on Audiences
- III: The Creation of Plausibility
- Introduction
- 10: Fashion, Topical Jokes, and Rumor as Short-Term Enthusiasms
- 11: Celebrating Arabs and Grateful Terrorists
- 12: Beyond Rumor and Legend
- 13: Negatory Rumors
- 14: Social Construction and Social Consequences
- Conclusion Rumor and Legend: Seven Questions
by "Nielsen BookData"