A Western Marxist social theory movement formed with the creation of the Institute of Social Research in 1923 in Frankfurt, Germany. In the wake of World War II, many theorists moved to the United States to continue developing its philosophy and ideology. Frankfurt School theory often centers on critiques of capitalism, consumerism, dominant ideologies (especially fascism and populism), and Enlightenment philosophy. Associated figures include Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno, Walter Benjamin, Jürgen Habermas, Erich Fromm, Ernst Bloch, Herbert Marcuse, Axel Honneth, and Moishe Postone.
Published in Chapter:
Bernays, Horkheimer, and Adorno: Theory in the Age of Social Media
William Sipling (University of St. Thomas, USA)
Copyright: © 2020
|Pages: 22
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-7998-1734-5.ch005
Abstract
Social media and 21st century mass communication have changed the technological landscape of marketing and advertising, enabling instant content creation, content curation, and audience feedback. The thought of Edward Bernays can be useful in examining and interrogating today's media, especially through the lens of Frankfurt School social theorists Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno. Further, the works Crystalizing Public Opinion and Propaganda are critiqued through ideas found in Dialectic of Enlightenment to give business and PR professionals ethical concepts that may be applied to modern trends in communications.