Powdermaker's study of the Hollywood film industry was an early example of anthropological research on contemporary American society. Her observations of the tensions between business and art in the film world led her to suggest that the social relations of the filmmaking process significantly affect the content and meaning of movies. Chapters include: Chapter 1 - Habitat and People, Mythical and Real Chapter 2 - Mass Production of Dream Chapter 3 - Taboos Chapter 4 - Front Office Chapter ...

This anthology of hard-to-find primary documents provides a solid overview of the foundations of American media studies. Focusing on mass communication and society and how this research fits into larger patterns of social thought, this valuable collection features key texts covering the media studies traditions of the Chicago school, the effects tradition, the critical theory of the Frankfurt school, and mass society theory. Where possible, articles are reproduced in their entirety to pres...