Hoofdstuk 25

Question 1

What is Cultural Studies?

Answer 1

Cultural Studies is a theoretical perspective that focuses on how culture is influenced by powerful, dominant groups. It explores the attitudes, approaches, and criticisms of a culture and examines how media is used as a tool by the elite to shape this culture.

Question 2

What are the assumptions of Cultural Studies?

Answer 2

The theory assumes that culture pervades all aspects of human behavior and that people are part of a hierarchical structure of power. It also suggests that the media, as an instrument of the dominant classes, plays a significant role in sculpting our culture.

Question 3

What is the concept of ‘Hegemony’ in Cultural Studies?

Answer 3

Hegemony refers to the influence, power, or dominance of one social group over another, usually weaker, group. It describes the ways in which dominant groups in society manage to direct people into complacency.

Question 4

What is the concept of ‘False consciousness’ in Cultural Studies?

Answer 4

False consciousness is a state in which individuals are unaware of the domination in their lives. People are often subtly influenced to consent to the dominant culture’s ideologies, often through material goods and perceived freedoms.

Question 5

What is ‘Decoding’ in the context of Cultural Studies?

Answer 5

Decoding is the process where audiences receive a media message and compare it with meanings already stored in their minds. Audiences decode messages from three positions: dominant-hegemonic, negotiated, and oppositional.

Question 6

What is ‘Counter-hegemony’ in Cultural Studies?

Answer 6

Counter-hegemony occurs when audiences challenge the dominant ideologies and use the same strategies as dominant social groups to do so. It suggests that audiences are not always compliant and may actively resist dominant narratives.