Bernard Miège
Encyclopedia
Bernard Miège is a French media theorist and academic administrator. He is Emeritus Professor of Communication and Information Science at Stendhal University in Grenoble
. He was educated at Paris University, both in political studies and in economics. He has a Ph.D. in economics (Paris) and another Ph. D in humanities (Bordeaux). He is the author of fifteen works in the following fields: the cultural industries, the introduction of the technologies of information and communication in the society and in the organisations, and the analysis of the theories of communication.
He is one of the most influential founders of the 'cultural industries', approach, which signified a break from Adorno and Horkheimer
's influential theorisation of the 'Culture Industry
'. While Adorno and Horkheimer saw culture as subsumed by capital, and by an abstract mode of 'instrumental reason', Miège rejected what he saw as their economic determinism
, arguing that the cultural industries were far more complex than their analysis allowed for. They were not a unified field, and he argued that whilst there was indeed increased commodification of culture by the introduction of industrial methods of production, this new technology also created the possibilities for new exciting innovations. Miège's work has been highly influential, in particular on communication studies in the UK, influencing important academic commentators on the media such as Nicholas Garnham
and David Hesmondhalgh.
Bernard Miège served as the President of Stendhal University from 1989 to 1994.
In 2006 Bernard Miège received an honorary doctorate in communications from Université du Québec à Montréal
. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bucharest
in 2004.
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
. He was educated at Paris University, both in political studies and in economics. He has a Ph.D. in economics (Paris) and another Ph. D in humanities (Bordeaux). He is the author of fifteen works in the following fields: the cultural industries, the introduction of the technologies of information and communication in the society and in the organisations, and the analysis of the theories of communication.
He is one of the most influential founders of the 'cultural industries', approach, which signified a break from Adorno and Horkheimer
Horkheimer
The surname Horkheimer may refer to:* Max Horkheimer, Jewish-German philosopher and sociologist* Rudolf Horkheimer , German engineer* Jack Horkheimer, American astronomer and television host...
's influential theorisation of the 'Culture Industry
Culture industry
Culture industry is a term coined by critical theorists Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer , who argued in the chapter of their book Dialectic of Enlightenment, 'The Culture Industry: Enlightenment as Mass Deception' ; that popular culture is akin to a factory producing standardized cultural goods...
'. While Adorno and Horkheimer saw culture as subsumed by capital, and by an abstract mode of 'instrumental reason', Miège rejected what he saw as their economic determinism
Economic determinism
Economic determinism is the theory which attributes primacy to the economic structure over politics in the development of human history. It is usually associated with the theories of Karl Marx, although many Marxist thinkers have dismissed plain and unilateral economic determinism as a form of...
, arguing that the cultural industries were far more complex than their analysis allowed for. They were not a unified field, and he argued that whilst there was indeed increased commodification of culture by the introduction of industrial methods of production, this new technology also created the possibilities for new exciting innovations. Miège's work has been highly influential, in particular on communication studies in the UK, influencing important academic commentators on the media such as Nicholas Garnham
Nicholas Garnham
Nicholas Garnham is Emeritus Professor at the University of Westminster in the academic field of Media Studies. Garnham attended Winchester College from 1950 to 1955 where the major influence on his thinking was British socialist historian R.H.Tawney...
and David Hesmondhalgh.
Bernard Miège served as the President of Stendhal University from 1989 to 1994.
In 2006 Bernard Miège received an honorary doctorate in communications from Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
. He also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bucharest
University of Bucharest
The University of Bucharest , in Romania, is a university founded in 1864 by decree of Prince Alexander John Cuza to convert the former Saint Sava Academy into the current University of Bucharest.-Presentation:...
in 2004.
Work available online
- 2008. «De retour à Compiègne, 30 après». Conférence inaugurale. Congrès de la SFSIC, Compiègne.
- 2008. «Conférence inaugurale» Colloque international de Tunis, 2008
- 2006. «France : l’incomplétude des relations entre journalisme et université» Les enjeux de l'information et de la communication, revue du laboratoire GRESEC.
- 2004. «Économie politique de la communication». Hermès, nº 38.
- 2004. «L’ingénierie éducative d’un point de vue communicationnel». Distances et savoirs. Vol. 2, nº 1. Note de lecture de Alain Chaptal, 2003. Efficacité des technologies éducatives dans l’enseignement scolaire. Paris : L’Harmattan.
- 2002. «Quoi de nouveau dans la recherche française en informatique et communication ?». Actes du Premier colloque franco-mexicain des sciences de la communication, 8-10 avril 2002, Mexico, pages 122-131.
- 2002. «Les TICs: un champ marqué par la complexité et un entrelacs d'enjeux». Conférence, 2001 Bogues. Globalisme et pluralisme.
- 2000. «Le communicationnel et le social : déficits récurrents et nécessaires (re)-positionnements théoriques» Les enjeux de l'information et de la communication, revue du laboratoire GRESEC.
- 1992. Sur le "Cours de médiologie générale" (Régis Debray). Réseaux. Vol. 10, nº 51, pp. 129–132
Selected works
- "La pense communicationnelle", Grenoble: PUG, 1995. ISBN 9782706106217
- Review, Laramee, A. 2006. "Bernard Miege, La pensee communicationnelle". Communication, Information, Medias, Theories Pratiques. 25, no. 1: 347-350.
- "La société conquise par la communication: la communication entre l'industrie et l'espace public", tome 2, Grenoble: PUG, 1997. ISBN 9782706103285
- "The Capitalization of Cultural Production." New York, N.Y.: International General, 1989.
- "Médias et communication en Europe." Grenoble: Presses universitaires de Grenoble, 1990.
- with Patrick Pajon, and Jean-Michel Salaün. "L'industrialisation de l'audiovisuel: des programmes pour les nouveaux médias." Babel. Paris: Aubier, 1986
- "La Production du cinéma." Média et compagnie(s). Grenoble: Presses universitaires de Grenoble, 1980.
- with Lacroix, Jean-Guy, B and Gaétan Tremblay. "De la télématique aux autoroutes électroniques: le grand projet reconduit." Communication, culture et société. Sainte-Foy, Québec: Presses de l'Université du Québec, 1994.
- "Questionner la société de l'information." Paris: Hermès Science Publications, 2000