Employing approaches from the fields of communication studies, English, sociology, psychology, and history, this title explores a range of texts and artifacts that give rise to publics, and discuss what they reveal about conceptualizations of social space. It includes case studies that illustrates a modalities approach to the study of publics.

Bringing together scholars in rhetorical, cultural, and media studies, this collection of new case studies illustrates a modalities approach to the study of publics. These case studies explore the implications of different ways of forming publics, including alternative means of expression (protests, culture jamming); the intersection of politics and consumerism (how people express their identities and interests through their consumer behavior); and online engagement (blogs as increasingly important public fora). In doing so, they raise important questions of access, community, and political efficacy.