@article{2016:krmer:is_a_theor,
title = {Is a theory of media and communication history possible (and necessary)?},
year = {2016},
note = {While there has been a broad debate on the use of theory in history in
general, there are few contributions by historians of communication
and the media discussing the role of theory in their particular field.
We therefore review and discuss some of the main arguments pertaining
to the use of theory in historiography and apply them to the field of
media and communication history. Such arguments include the assumption
that theories are already implicit in all types of narratives, or the
idea that theory amounts to a speculative philosophy of history. We
also discuss the controversial question whether deductive explanations
and general laws should be applied to history. The article concludes
that the use of theories is advisable, perhaps even necessary, given
their multifunctionality and their different forms.},
journal = {SCM Studies in Communication and Media},
pages = {307--333},
author = {Krämer, Benjamin and Müller, Philipp},
volume = {5},
number = {3}
}