「媒介化」（mediatization）日益被定性為媒介和傳播研究中典範轉移的一部分。本研究將被置於這個大背景之下。研究的緣起是探索一條可以在媒介化理論的視野下進行次文化（sub-culture）研究的路徑。研究回顧了解決次文化邊界問題的傳統思路，指出媒介化視野帶來的好處是可以將傳播和媒介作為次文化研究的關鍵，對一段時期內的「傳播和媒介」的變化與「社會和文化」的變化進行「整體性的理解」。本研究最重要的理論工具是媒介化學群中日益盛行的「傳播形定」（communicative figurations）概念，它將被期許帶來次文化研究的新思路。

Mediatization is now considered as part of a broader paradigm shift within media and communication research. In this context, the current research represents an attempt to discover a new approach to a diachronic study of sub-culture from the perspective of mediatization. More specifically, it aimed at constructing a universal theoretical model to study sub-cultures that not only explains the changes in communication and media during a particular period of time but also captures long-term interrelation processes between media and social and cultural changes. Additionally, this study explored the possibility of incorporating communicative figurations—the new mainstream approach to mediatization—into empirical studies.