6533b873fe1ef96bd12d4b93
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Nazis, Pollution, and no Sex
Uwe HartungFrank Essersubject
Cultural StudiesSociology and Political ScienceSocial Psychologymedia_common.quotation_subject050801 communication & media studiesEducationGermanPolitics0508 media and communications050602 political science & public administrationSociologyNews mediamedia_commonMass mediabusiness.industry05 social sciencesGeneral Social SciencesSocial constructionismDemocracylanguage.human_language0506 political sciencePolitical scandalLawPolitical economylanguagePolitical culturebusinessdescription
This article briefly summarizes the German research literature on scandal and then outlines a theory of scandal as a socially constructed communication pattern. The theory distinguishes macro- and micro-level approaches for addressing the question of which malfunctions a society selects for scandal. The manifest and latent functions of scandals are discussed with special emphasis on the role of the mass media. The authors’concept of scandal is linked to the concept of political culture. The article then reviews, from a comparative cross-national point of view, (a) scandals that were formative for the development of democratic political culture in Germany, (b) scandals that are linked to the particular history of Germany, (c) scandals that do not distinguish Germany from other societies, and (d) scandals that are conspicuously missing in Germany although common in other countries. On this basis, five conclusions are drawn about the relationship of political scandal and political culture.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-04-01 | American Behavioral Scientist |