Utopia and technocracy: towards a theoretical foundation for information technology

Este artigo ocupa-se de duas concepções de comunicação que atravessam a investigação nesta área, expondo as suas raízes e discutindo os seus fundamentos ideológicos. A concepção argumentativa, cívica e universalista de comunicação, formulada pelas duas primeiras gerações da escola sociológica de Chicago, revelou-se frágil frente a uma outra concepção baseada num modelo técnico-científico que concebe os meios técnicos de transmissão de sinais como independentes das lógicas de mediação social e que se adequa aos desenvolvimentos actuais das tecnologias da informação, às formas de convencimento modernas e à indústria cultural. L’article traite de deux conceptions de communication transversales à la recherche dans ce domaine, en exposant leurs racines et en discutant leurs fondements idéologiques. La conception argumentative, civique et universaliste de communication, formulée par les deux premières générations de l’école sociologique de Chicago, s’est révélée fragile face à une autre conception qui repose sur un modèle technico-scientifique qui conçoit les moyens techniques de la transmission des signes comme indépendants des logiques de la médiation sociale et en adéquation avec les développements actuels des technologies de l’information, avec les formes modernes de conviction et avec l’industrie culturelle. This article deals with two conceptions of communication which cut across research in this field, examining their roots and discussing their ideological origins. The argumentative, civic and universalist conception of communication, formulated by the first two generations of the Chicago school of sociology, is shown to be relatively weak when compared to a different conception based on a technological and scientific model which sees the technical means for transmitting signals as being independent of the logical processes of social mediation, and which is suited to current developments in information technology, to modern persuasions and to the culture industry.