Grounds for Studying New Media in the Context of the Science of Culture (Based on Works of L. White and M. McLuhan)

The purpose of the article is to justify the appropriateness of studying media in general and new media in particular in the context of culturology. The research methodology consisted in the theoretical foundations of Leslie Whiteʼs science of culture applied to Marshall McLuhanʼs media theory. The article ascertains that the principles of universalism, technodeterminism, and evolutionism can be considered as inherent not only in cultural studies but media theory as well. The author indicates methodological weaknesses of media research, which get exacerbated in the process of the development of digital media. The article provides an argumentation in favor of technological determinism of L. White and M. McLuhan, and also points to reasonableness of its re-actualization in the theory of new media. Conclusions. The combination of culturological and media discourses allows for developing a relevant approach to the study of media as an integral part of culture. It is stressed that the context of new media especially actualizes the issue of combining L. Whiteʼs theory of culture and M. McLuhanʼs theory of media, as well as adjusting the direction of media research in accordance with their basic theoretical guidelines