Signs for an Act of Consignatio. Herta Herzog’s Contributions to Sociology and Communication Studies

Herta Herzog (1910–2010), a pioneering figure in sociology and communication studies, remains one of the most overlooked yet influential scholars of the 20th century. She made groundbreaking strides in sociological and mass media research, developing innovative interdisciplinary methodologies, including inventing the focus group and laying the foundation for the uses and gratifications approach in communication studies. Despite her seminal work, her contributions were often overshadowed or misattributed to male colleagues, such as Robert K. Merton and Hadley Cantril, reflecting systemic gender biases in academia. This paper explores her methodological and theoretical innovations, her role in shaping qualitative research, and the barriers she faced as a woman sociologist in a male-dominated field. The specific aim is to shed light to her contributions through a Derridean act of consignation – gathering and reassembling signs from various sources to reconstruct her intellectual legacy