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This article examines the effects and implications of the new media for cultural communication. Drawing on an already large literature in the field of sociology and 'medium theory', it is argued that the computer media revolution affects all stages of cultural communication, (acquisition, manipulation, storage, distribution) and all types of media (text, images, moving images, sound). The specific characteristics of new media and their cultural effects are analysed via a historically informed comparison between traditional media (printing press, photography, etc.) and new computerised media. It tums out that a lot of the commonly held characteristics of new media can already be found in traditional media. One can however distinguish some general tendencies of a culture undergoing computerisation, such as increasing possibilities for modulation and transformation of data, the variability of new media objects and a tendency towards de-centralisation. From a sociological point of view however, the most important tendency is the 'individualisation' of mass communication, The new media create a segmented, differentiated audience that, although massive in terms of numbers, is no longer a mass audience in terms of simultaneity and uniformity of the messages it receives. Because computers can intervene actively on the contents they diffuse and present them at any point in time in the format corresponding to the interests and needs of the individual user.

This article describes the evolution of morality from the perspective of Niklas Luhmanns Systems theory ("Geselhchaflsstruktur und Semantik"). The author examines the connection between the specific historical-semantic form of morality and the dominant form of differentiation. Firstly, morality in segmentary differentiated societies is characterized by a principle of reciprocity. Secondly, the hierarchical morality of stratified societies is examined. Special attention is being paid to the coupling of the religious code and the moral code. Finally, the connection between functional differentiation and modern moral semantics is being looked at.

In Die Gesellschaft der Gesellschaft (1997), Niklas Luhmann systematizes his theory of society. This article discusses the main lines of the book. Attention is given, first, to Luhmann's notion of society. According to Luhmann, society is the momentary whole of all Communications. Each observation of society takes place within society. Thus, sociology can't consider itself to be an independent observer who studies society from the outside. Next, we focus on Luhmann's theory of evolution. We indicate how the evolution of society as a closed communicative system runs simultaneously with the evolution of communicative media. After marking the difference between Luhmann's theory of evolution and history, we connect the concept of evolution with Luhmann's differentiation theory. Finally, it is shown how evolution in forms of differentiation are being translated into societal self descriptions.

In this article we discuss how 'the expressive revolution' (Parsons) influences the boundary between the private and the public sphere. First, we give a historical-sociological overview of the belief in authenticity, This belief dates back to romanticism, but was generally spread only during the post-war period. Attention is given to the 'psychological culture' that discusses individuality in terms of self-expression and self-esteem. This is described as part of the ongoing rationalisation of everyday interaction and inner life, thereby making use of research on the significance of courses that are somehow dealing with the quality of life. Next, the belief in authenticity is connected with the process of privatisation of identity. Finally, by taking the case of feminism, we indicate how expressivism leads to an erosion of the traditional concept of the public sphere.