The goal of this volume is to explore the social and political
dynamics of rumor and the related concept of urban or contemporary
legend. These forms of communication often appear in tandem with
social problems, including riots, racial or political violence, and
social and economic upheavals. The volume emphasizes the connection
of rumor to a set of social concerns from government corruption and
corporate scandal, to racial, religious, and other prejudices.
Central to the dialogue are issues of truth, belief, history,
public policy, and evidence.
Rumor has been recognized as one of the most important
contributing factors to violence and discrimination. Yet, despite
its significance in exacerbating social discord and mistrust,
little systematic scholarly attention has been paid to the
political origins and consequences of rumor. Rumor is defined as a
proposition for belief that is not backed by secure standards of
evidence. Rumor can be traditional or not, and can be expressed as
a simple claim of fact. In both instances groups of claim-makers,
operating out of their own interests and with a set of resources,
attempt to depict reality, and if possible, impact the future.
The need for this book is underscored by changing patterns of
technology. What in the past was grounded in face- to-face
interaction is now often found on the Internet, which is a major
source of rumor. An appreciation of how new electronic forms of
communication affect communal belief is essential for explicating
rumor dynamics. The volume is comprehensive. Essays cover race and
ethnicity, migration and globalization, corporate malfeasance, and
state and government corruption. While editors and contributors
well appreciate the dynamic nature of rumors and legends, the high
quality of the effort make it evident that the issues that are
raised and reoccur will serve to channel and inspire research in
this major field of communications research for years to come.
"Gary Alan Fine" is professor of sociology at Northwestern
University in Evanston, Illinois. "Veronique Campion-Vincent" is a
folklorist at the Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, in Paris, France.
"Chip Heath" is associate professor of organizational behavior in
the Graduate School for Business at Stanford University in
California. Each are accomplished authors and researchers--as are
the participants in the volume itself.
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