Culture Studies Term 1
Who introduced the terms Encoding and Decoding?
Encoding and Decoding denote a communication model developed by Stuart Hall in the 1973 essay titled "Encoding and Decoding in Television Discourse".
What theory are these terms part of?
These terms are part of Communication Theory as well as Reception Theory, that is, the theory of how an audience receives messages. In developing these terms, Stuart Hall was influenced by Semiotics, or the science of signs. Stuart Hall's theory of communication is part of Culture Studies because it shows how communication produces and reflects culture.
What is Encoding/Decoding?
In communication, a Sender "encodes" a message with meaning and the Receiver "decodes" the message and understands it. And what are Codes? Codes are a set of conventions used to communicate meaning. For example, punctuation marks (a fullstop communicates the meaning that a sentence has ended) or gestures (a wave of the palm means good-bye).
Encoding is the production of a message using verbal as well as non-verbal symbols and decoding is the interpretation of the message. Decoding is a negotiation of the receiver with the text based on his or her knowledge, cultural background and experiences. In other words, every receiver might interpret or decode the text differently, leading to multiple meanings or polysemism.
Take a Fair-and-Lovely cream ad. One of the encoded messages is that women should be beautiful and fair.
There are three ways in which Decoding can take place: (1) Preferred reading is where the decoded message is the same as the encoded message. The receiver completely agrees to the idea that women should be beautiful and fair.
(2) Negotiated reading is where the decoded message is partially the same as encoded message. The receiver accepts that some women are beautiful and fair, but holds it's not necessary for every woman to be so.
(3) Oppositional reading is where the decoded message is completely opposite to the encoded message. The viewer completely disagrees with the idea that women should be beautiful and fair.
Hall suggests a four-stage model of communication. The four stages are Production of the message, Circulation of the message in visual or written forms, Use or consumption of the message as meaningful, and Reproduction of the message, which is the stage in which the effect of the message is felt, leading to action. In the case of the Fair-and-Lovely ad, the four stages are the production of the ad, the appearance of the ad on TV, the retention of the ad in the memory of the viewer, and the buying of the product.
What is the importance of these terms in Cultural Studies?
Hall's theory of communication challenged the communications theories of the 1960s and laid the foundation of a cultural understanding of communication.
This theory influenced Dick Hebdige's theory of Subculture which shows how young people decode and interpret the dominant culture in new ways, thereby challenging and subverting it.
Hope you liked this blog. There is more here.
This is an initiative of TES Education.
Who introduced the terms Encoding and Decoding?
Encoding and Decoding denote a communication model developed by Stuart Hall in the 1973 essay titled "Encoding and Decoding in Television Discourse".
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| Courtesy: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/stuart-hall-and-the-rise-of-cultural-studies |
What theory are these terms part of?
These terms are part of Communication Theory as well as Reception Theory, that is, the theory of how an audience receives messages. In developing these terms, Stuart Hall was influenced by Semiotics, or the science of signs. Stuart Hall's theory of communication is part of Culture Studies because it shows how communication produces and reflects culture.
What is Encoding/Decoding?
In communication, a Sender "encodes" a message with meaning and the Receiver "decodes" the message and understands it. And what are Codes? Codes are a set of conventions used to communicate meaning. For example, punctuation marks (a fullstop communicates the meaning that a sentence has ended) or gestures (a wave of the palm means good-bye).
Encoding is the production of a message using verbal as well as non-verbal symbols and decoding is the interpretation of the message. Decoding is a negotiation of the receiver with the text based on his or her knowledge, cultural background and experiences. In other words, every receiver might interpret or decode the text differently, leading to multiple meanings or polysemism.
Take a Fair-and-Lovely cream ad. One of the encoded messages is that women should be beautiful and fair.
There are three ways in which Decoding can take place: (1) Preferred reading is where the decoded message is the same as the encoded message. The receiver completely agrees to the idea that women should be beautiful and fair.
(2) Negotiated reading is where the decoded message is partially the same as encoded message. The receiver accepts that some women are beautiful and fair, but holds it's not necessary for every woman to be so.
(3) Oppositional reading is where the decoded message is completely opposite to the encoded message. The viewer completely disagrees with the idea that women should be beautiful and fair.
Hall suggests a four-stage model of communication. The four stages are Production of the message, Circulation of the message in visual or written forms, Use or consumption of the message as meaningful, and Reproduction of the message, which is the stage in which the effect of the message is felt, leading to action. In the case of the Fair-and-Lovely ad, the four stages are the production of the ad, the appearance of the ad on TV, the retention of the ad in the memory of the viewer, and the buying of the product.
What is the importance of these terms in Cultural Studies?
Hall's theory of communication challenged the communications theories of the 1960s and laid the foundation of a cultural understanding of communication.
This theory influenced Dick Hebdige's theory of Subculture which shows how young people decode and interpret the dominant culture in new ways, thereby challenging and subverting it.
Hope you liked this blog. There is more here.
This is an initiative of TES Education.
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