Do lado de cá do ecrã. Génese das teorias da recepção e do(s) públicos(s)

This article aims firstly to analyse the key concepts, which caracterize mostly since the 1970s, the emergence of studies on reception and its audiences. Marked by the convergence of different, sometimes even conflicting traditions, the genesis of this thread is undoubtely associated to, namely, the ideological strugggles underlying cultural practices and the text/reader dichotomy. Secondly, and diverging from an anglo-american’s view, we will focus mainly on the french sociological stream on communication studies laying emphasis on two issues: (i) the public media´s legitimacy and (ii) the importance of interaction contexts.