Listening In : Radio and the American Imagination

by Douglas, Susan J.

• ISBN13: 9780816644230
• ISBN10: 0816644233
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-02-01
• Publisher: Univ of Minnesota Pr

Summary

Few inventions evoke such nostalgia, such deeply personal and vivid memories as radio-from Amos 'n' Andy and Edward R. Murrow to Wolfman Jack and Howard Stern. Listening In is the first in-depth history of how radio culture and content have kneaded and expanded the American psyche.But Listening In is more than a history. It is also a reconsideration of what listening to radio has done to American culture in the twentieth century and how it has brought a completely new auditory dimension to our lives. Susan Douglas explores how listening has altered our day-to-day experiences and our own generational identities, cultivating different modes of listening in different eras; how radio has shaped our views of race, gender roles, ethnic barriers, family dynamics, leadership, and the generation gap. With her trademark wit, Douglas has created an eminently readable cultural history of radio."Douglas's wonderful book offers a sophisticated history of radio listening." -Journal of American HistorySusan J. Douglas is professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and author of Where the Girls Are: Growing Up Female with the Mass Media.

Author Biography

Susan J. Douglas is professor of communication studies at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction	3	(253)
1. The Zen of Listening	22	(18)
2. The Ethereal World	40	(15)
3. Exploratory Listening in the 1920's	55	(28)
4. Tuning In to Jazz	83	(17)
5. Radio Comedy and Linguistic Slapstick	100	(24)
6. The Invention of the Audience	124	(37)
7. World War II and the Invention of Broadcast Journalism	161	(38)
8. Playing Fields of the Mind	199	(20)
9. The Kids Take Over: Transistors, DJs, and Rock 'n' Roll	219	(37)
10. The FM Revolution	256	(28)
11. Talk Talk	284	(44)
12. Why Ham Radio Matters	328	(19)
Conclusion: Is Listening Dead?	347	(12)
Notes	359	(32)
Index	391