The Elements of Media Studies

Abstract

Elements are constituent parts, defined by their role in composition. The classical Greek elements—air, water, fire, and earth—were “substances,” each of which offered its own specificity in composing the universe. The periodic table is a chart of foundational chemical elements, often seen as the building blocks of matter. Detached from specific materials and environments, “elements” refers simply to basic principles. Elements can describe ecological conditions—the elements of nature. To be in one’s element is to be enmeshed with one’s “natural” environment.