Stuart Hall And Represnation - Theory

Question 1

What is representation?

Answer 1

• Stuart hall believed representation was the ‘process by which members of a culture use language to produce meaning’. It is the organisation of signs, which we use to understand and describe the world, into a wider set of values of ideologies. These makings are not fixed or ‘real’, they are produced and defined by society

Question 2

Systems of representation

Answer 2

• hall (1997) identified two ‘systems of representations’ - conceptual maps and language

Question 3

Conceptual maps

Answer 3

• the first system consists of the mental representations we carry around in our minds. You should have no trouble picturing your friends and family, or the places you have visited recently. Experiences and events remain vivid long after they have concluded. We have the ability to imagine abstract concepts and theories. Even fictional worlds and mythical creators can be fully realised in our thoughts
• these ideas are all representations of what we might consider to be the real world
• we can distinguish once concept from another because we are fully aware of their similarities and differences.
• we also recognise the complex relationships between concepts and group them unto clusters and categories: colours, types of buildings, emotions etc - by creating system of concepts or conceptual maps, we can give meaning to our world

Question 4

Language

Answer 4

• although we are individuals with our own perspectives and histories, we actually experience most things with other people people and form similar interpretations of the world. This makes it easier for us to exchange our conceptual maps by translating them into signs - gestures, written and spoken language etc
• the language we use to communicate with each other is the second system of representation

Question 5

Approaches to representation

Answer 5

• hall summarised three approaches to understanding the representation process: reflective, intentional and constructinalist view

Question 6

The reflective view

Answer 6

• this approach to understanding representation suggests tat signs we use to communicate with each other reflect their true meaning because language acts like a mirror to the world
• visual signs often have some sort of relationship to the physical form of the objects they represent, so in terms of semitotics, might categorise these signs as icons.

Question 7

The intentional view

Answer 7

• by contrast, the intentional approach suggest we impose meaning on the world through the signs we used to describe it. When you are talking to a friend, the words you use to encode your message will mean exactly what you intended them to mean

Question 8

The constructionist view

Answer 8

• things exist in the physical world. Our conceptual maps are based on reality, but representation is a symbolic practise and process
• we construct meanings by organising signs into a system