Metamorphosis Project research is guided by communication infrastructure theory. Many researchers have studied the political or economic infrastructure of a community. In the same way, we examine a community’s communication infrastructure, which is usually invisible until a crisis or unexpected event occurs. For example, when inter-group conflict breaks out, people often look to ways in which communication processes have failed. We identify two basic components of the communication infrastructure. The first is the neighborhood storytelling network which consists of three key storytellers--

- Residents in their family, friend, and neighbor networks;
- Community and non-profit organizations that are located in the neighborhood and serve its residents; and
- Geo-ethnic media that are targeted to a particular ethnic group and/or geographic area.

When these storytellers create a conversation about the neighborhood--its problems, opportunities, and events--people are able to create the sense and reality of belonging to a community. Storytelling is the basic way that all communities are created, whether they be neighborhoods or nations.

The second component of the communication infrastructure is the communication action context, or the communication environment in which storytelling occurs. This environment may either constrain or facilitate the storytelling network. It consists of many elements, including the cultural diversity of the community, work conditions, the schools, libraries, parks, and other public spaces, the services available in a community--health, retail, recreational, etc.--the transportation system, and technological resources, such as Internet access. We can illustrate the influence of the communication action context on the storytelling network using the street safety feature as an example. When the streets and public spaces are or are perceived to be unsafe, residents are not likely to frequently and freely meet and greet each other and this means they are not likely to participate in neighborhood storytelling. When the streets and public spaces are safe and welcoming, residents are likely to be out and about their communities where they can meet and greet each other and develop conversations about their neighborhood.

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Publications

Books Matsaganis, M., Katz, V. & Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (In preparation). Understanding ethnic media: Their social and cultural roles in economic and policy contexts. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Published Papers Ball-Rokeach, S.J., & Loges, W.E. (2001). Media: Ally or adversary? Prehospital and Disaster Medicine. 15, 62-69. Ball-Rokeach, S.J., Kim, Y.C., & Matei, S. (2001). Storytelling neighborhood: Paths to belonging in diverse urban environments. Communication Research. 28(4), 392-428 Cheong, P. H. & Wilkin, H. A. (2005). Digital divide(s) among Hispanic immigrants and Internet connections for health information seeking. In M. Allen & M. Convalso (Eds.), Internet Research Annual, 2, 175-188. Cohen, E.L., Ball-Rokeach, S.J., Jung, J. Y., & Kim, Y. C. (2002). Civic actions after September 11th: Exploring the role of multi-level storytelling. Prometheus, 20(3), 221-228. Jung, J. Y., Ball-Rokeach, S. J., Kim, Y. C., & Matei, S. (2007). ICTs and communities in the 21st Century: Challenges and perspectives. In C. Ciborra, R. Mansell, D. Quah, & R. Silverstone (Eds.), Oxford Handbook of Information and Communication Technologies (pp.561-580). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kim, Y. C., & Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (2006). Neighborhood storytelling resources and civic engagement: A multilevel approach. Human Communication Research, 32(4), 411-439. Matei, S., & Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (2002). Belonging across geographic and Internet spaces: Ethnic area variations. In B. Wellman & C. Haythornthwaite (Eds.), The Internet in everyday life. UK: Blackwells.
Papers in Preparation Ball-Rokeach, S. J., Media system dependency theory. [In] W. Donsfach (Ed.), Blackwell International Encyclopedia of Communication. Jung, J-Y & Ball-Rokeach, S. J., From media system dependency theory to communication infrastructure theory. Kim, Y.K. & Ball-Rokeach, S. J., New immigrants, the Internet, and civil society. In A. Chadwick & P. Howard (Eds.), The Handbook of Internet Politics. New York: Routledge. Loges, W.E., Qiu, J., & Ball-Rokeach, S.J., Broken bonds at work, broken bonds at home: A theoretical connection.
Papers Presented at Professional Meetings Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (2004). Chair of panel for the 54th International Communication Association Conference. Mass Communication?: Mass communication division keynote panel. New Orleans. Jung, J.Y. & Ball-Rokeach, S.J. (2004). The International Communication Association Conference. From media systems dependency theory to a communication infrastructure approach. New Orleans. Kim, Y.C & Ball-Rokeach, S. J. (2006). Community storytelling network, neighborhood context, and civic engagement: A multilevel approach. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the AEJMC Theory and Methodology Division, San Francisco. Loges, W. E., Ball-Rokeach, S. J., & Qiu, L. (2005). Broken bonds at work, broken bonds at home: A theoretical connection Paper presented at the 55th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, New York City. Loges, W.E., Ball-Rokeach, S.J., & Qiu, J.L. (2003). Broken bonds at work, Broken bonds at home: A theoretical connection. Paper presented to the conference "From 9-to-5 to 24/7: How workplace change impact families, work, and communities," Orlando. Matsaganis, M. (2004). Urban Communication Pre-Conference, National Communication Association. The Metamorphosis of the Urban Environment: Conceptualizing Community Space from a Communication Infrastructure Perspective. Chicago Matsaganis, M. (2006). Neighborhood Effects and the Invisible Motor of Community Change. International Communication Association. Dresden. Qiu, J.L, Ball-Rokeach, S.J., & Li, H.M (2002). The metamorphosis of communicative bonds between work, family, & community in the age of globalization. Paper presented at the National Communication Association Conference, New Orleans.