This document discusses representation theories in media studies. It begins by introducing key theorists like Stuart Hall, Laura Mulvey, and Richard Dyer. It then focuses on Stuart Hall and his three approaches to representation: reflective, intentional, and constructionist. The reflective approach suggests representations reflect reality, while the intentional approach argues they represent the creator's intentions. However, the constructionist approach presented by Hall views representations as constructed from multiple elements, including the creator's perspective, the audience's interpretation, and societal context. The document emphasizes Hall's perspective that no representation can fully capture absolute truth. It provides examples applying each approach and examines how ideologies are conveyed and reinforced in media texts.

2. Last lesson…
• We looked at mediation, and discussed what
mediation is, and why it is an important thing
to consider when studying media.

3. Representation Theories
• Now we are going to look more in-depth at
how Representations are formed, and what
theorists are important in the study and
understanding of representation in Media.
Referring to theorists will get you higher
marks in exams and essays.

4. Representation Theorists
• Stuart Hall
• Laura Mulvey
• Richard Dyer
• Tessa Perkins
• Jean Baudrillard

5. Representation Theorist
• Stuart Hall
• His name will crop up
reasonably frequently in
Media Studies (it has
already done so).
• A Cultural Theorist and
Sociologist
• Prominent figure in media
studies theory

6. Representation Theorists
• His theories focused on
Representation and the
media (1997)

7. Representation Theorists
• Important figure, but not the most
exciting.
• Key points:
• Hall emphasises the importance of
visual representation – the image
seems to be the prevalent sign of
late modern culture.
• Representation is that which stands
in for something else.
• Representation is the way in which
meaning is given to the things which
are depicted in the media

8. Representation Theorists
• In 'Representation and the Media', Hall
described 3 main approaches to
Representation:
• Reflective
• Intentional
• Constructionist

9. Reflective approach
The reflective approach suggests that
what we see and hear through the
media is a reflection of real life. In other
words, the representation is created
from what exists in reality. This
approach would have us believe that
the producers are taking something's
true meaning and recreating it in the
mind of the audience.

10. Reflective approach
Can you think of an example of a type
of media that we perceive as being
reflective?

11. Reflective approach
News (programmes and papers) are
usually perceived as being reflective
media - they take what exists in reality
and claim to then re-present it to us as
accurately as possible.

12. Reflective approach
Reality TV also claims to reflect real-life,
as it tends to show real people in real
situations. How 'real' it is a subject of
some debate, and this debate
essentially boils down to the type of
representation used.

13. Intentional Approach
• The intentional approach to representation
suggests that all representations are loaded
with the intent of the producers who created
it. Unlike the reflective approach the most
important details are not what is shown, but
who is showing it. They are presenting their
own view and the words and images used
mean what they want them to mean..

14. Intentional Approach
• Can you think of an example of media which
most clearly demonstrates an intentional
approach?
• If we take the intentional approach, all media
content represents the intention of the
producer. This would mean that the producer
would have to have some intent, such as to
persuade us something. Propaganda is a good
example of this.

15. Constructionist Approach
• The Constructionist approach is a mixture of
reflective and intentional. It is seen as a
response to the weaknesses in those other two
approaches, as some would argue that they are
too simplistic. This approach suggests that the
meaning of a representation is constructed in
the mind of the audience.

16. Constructionist Approach
• The Constructionist approach is a mixture of
reflective and intentional. It is seen as a
response to the weaknesses in those other two
approaches, as some would argue that they are
too simplistic. This approach suggests that the
meaning of a representation is constructed in
the mind of the audience.

17. Constructionists believe:
• Representation is a mixture of:
– The actual thing being represented
– The values/attitudes and lifestyle (VALs) of the
people/institutions constructing the
representation
– The reaction of the individual member of the
audience (and their VALs)
– The context of the society in which the
representation is taking place

18. Constructionists believe:
• Constructionists would say that a
representation can never be the absolute
truth, nor can it only be the media producer's
version of the truth. These approaches ignore
the one thing that you as audiences all have in
common - the ability to make up your own
minds, in addition to the external influences
on you that the text has no control over
(society)

19. Constructionists believe:
• So, the representation is CONSTRUCTED from
a mixture of:
• The thing itself (image, text or sound)The
opinions of the people doing the
representation
• The reaction of the individual to the
representation
• The context of the society in which the
representation is taking place

20. Constructionists believe:
• A reflectionist would say that this is how
British people really are - they have been
reflected accurately
• An intentionalist would say that the producers
are intending to make us believe that this is
how British people are, or that the producers
are intending to genuinely offend British
people by mocking them.

21. Constructionists believe:
• A constructionist would say that this representation is
constructed from the following elements:
• There are British people that maybe the producers have
seen or met that are like this. They formed an opinion of
them based upon this and they used this as a basis for their
exaggerated representation
• As an individual, you can choose whether to believe that
this is accurate or not, and choose whether or not you are
offended by this.
• You were probably influenced by the fact that you live in
Britain and are (probably) British. An American might come
to a different conclusion, and a Russian might come to
another.

22. TASK
• Write down what you think a reflectionist, an
intentionalist, and a constructionist would say
about the representation of events that occur
in the Big Brother House.

23. Summary
• So, that's Stuart Hall.
• The key thing to remember
• Reflective - Reflects real life
• Intentional - Intends to persuade you
• Constructional - Is constructed by a
combination of the producer, the audience
and the society

24. Ideology
• Media texts convey ideological messages:
• Ideology is a system of ideas, values and
beliefs promoted by dominant groups to
reinforce their power (e.g: governments, state
institutions, corporations).

25. Theorist - Karl Marx
• Developed the concept of ideology in 1900s.
• Analysed the way those in power protected
their interests by representing their privileged
position as being natural.
• Consider how dominant ideologies are
reinforced/challenged by media texts.

26. Homework
• Research the following two theorists.
• Summarise their theories – what do the
concepts mean? Apply these theories to
contemporary media texts
Theorist Year Concepts
Karl Marx 1848 Marxism (1 page)
Antonio
Gramsci
1971 Cultural hegemony (half a page)
Charles R
Acland
1995 Ideology of protection; deviant youth and
reproduction of social order (half a page)