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Introduction and Overview 11

of the European Parliament in the 1970s provided a unique object of study, in
that campaigns were fought at the same time in several countries for seats in the
same body (Blumler et al., 1983).

In conclusion

This account of some of the prominent themes in European communication
research is not and cannot be complete. There is a great deal going on elsewhere
under other headings, although a distinctively European perspective may be
harder to discern. This applies, for instance, to much research on popular culture,
although that has largely found its own alternative home. It applies to feminist
theory and research and also to research on many aspects of children and media,
both of which have developed within a common international frame of refer-
ence. Much the same could be said of research into ‘new media’, including the
Internet, computer games and various uses of new technology. Here too, there is
little distinctive about the European situation, although the region offers good
opportunities for comparative research.

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