If Political Communication is Western in all but name, why not just rename it? The case for provincialising the field

7 Pages Posted: 14 Jun 2022

See all articles by Cherian George

Cherian George

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) - School of Communication; AcademiaSG

Date Written: May 27, 2022

Abstract

The field of political communication remains narrowly focused on so-called WEIRD societies — Western, educated, industrialised, rich, and democratic — depite sincere and strenous efforts to diversify it. Rather than continuing to struggle to globalise polcomm and settle for incremental gains, I suggest that it may be time to respect the fact that there are many scholars doing good work within in this field as currently constituted. They are, not unreasonably, happy with polcomm the way it is. But respect should be mutual. And respect for scholars of the non-West requires that polcomm give up the pretence that it covers political communication in some generic or universal sense. De facto, it represents Western political communication. It should rebrand itself accordingly. Paradodically, the field as a whole will become more global when its most dominant regional grouping becomes more aware of its provincialism.

Keywords: political communication, de-westernisation, decolonisation, Global South

Suggested Citation

George, Cherian, If Political Communication is Western in all but name, why not just rename it? The case for provincialising the field (May 27, 2022). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4127203 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4127203

Cherian George (Contact Author)

Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) - School of Communication ( email )

5 Hereford Road, Kowloon Tong
Kowloon
Hong Kong

AcademiaSG ( email )

Singapore
Singapore

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