ABSTRACT
It seems that any time human societies face the pervasive ambiguities that accompany massive social change, the discussion inevitably turns to values. One reason why is that old structures and ways of doing things come into conflict with emerging structures and patterns of behavior. A profound problematic ensues. Its essential element is legitimacy (Haberrnas, 1975). Under the shifting sands of change and resistance to change, under the pervasive ambiguity (Ball-Rokeach, 1973) of not feeling certain that one understands fundamental questions of what is going on and why? who am I? and who are we? people must not only construct artificially stable social realities, they must also legitimate them. In traditional societies, this communication work took place in interpersonal networks. In contemporary societies, interpersonal discourse takes place in the context of a communication environment dominated by media discourse.
