representation: stuart hall

concept 1: media representation processes

• the media does not mirror real world events but produces an edited version of the events depicted

• media representations are constructed through codes- through the use of language, imagery, layout, sound and editing

• the media plays a vital role in shaping our views of the wider world

concept 2: stereotypes and power

• stereotypes are used by mediaproducers to create instant charachterisation

• stereoytpes reuce social groups to a few key traits or visual cues and suggest that those groups are naturallt inclined towards a specific set of negative behaviours

• stereotypes are mostly found where there are huge social inequalities. They exclude and demonise groups in a manner that both reflects and reinforces social hierarchies

• social groups can internalise the behaviours inferred by stereotypes

• stereotypes can be contested through transcoding strategies

stuart hall (against)

his reception theory model suggests that audiences can resist the effectsof the media through the production of oppositional or negotiated reading

Paul Gilroy (against)

Gilroy’s work picks up many of the themes of Hall’s argument- his analysis suggests that racial stereoytypes are framed by thewider culutural/historical forces of empire. This makes it much harder for the media to contest black stereoytypes because they are so deeply entrenched within british culutral psyche

closure and exclusion

media products exclude groups from power through representation- often positioning marginalised groups as unworthy or social inclusion

internalisation

occurs when marginalised groups or individuals assimilate the behaviours of negative media representations

naturalisation

the repeated messages of stereotypes can suggest that groups have a natural disposition towards certain types of behaviour

other

hall suggests that those groups who are exclused from social power or mainstream culture are “others”

power circularity

stereotypes both reflect social attitudes and simultaneously reinforce thwm through processes such as internalisation

symbloic violence

stereotypes that demonise groups offer us moments of symbolic violence in that they lead to the exclusion of those groups from social power

transcoding

refers to representation strategies that contest stereotypical assumptions