Stuart Hall Reception theory

• The idea that communication is a process involving encoding by producers and decoding by audiences

• The idea that there are three hypothetical positions from which messages and meanings may be decoded

The dominant-hegemonic position: the encoder’s intended meaning (preferred reading) is fully understood and accepted

The negotiated position: the legitimacy of the encoder’s message is acknowledged in general terms, although the message is adapted or negotiated to better fit the decoder’s own individual experiences or context

The oppositional position: the encoder’s message is understood, but the decoder disagrees with it, reading it in a contrary or oppositional way