Reception Theory

Give that the Effects model and The uses and gratification have their problems and limitations a different approach to audiences was developed by the academic 'STUART HALL' at Birmingham University in 1970's.

Stuart Hall.

Stuart Hall is one of Britain's leading academic and one of the very first black academic. Also known as founding the father's of media studies.

Stuart Hall has become one of the main proponents of reception theory, and developed Hall's theory of encoding and decoding. This approach to textual analysis focuses on the scope for negotiation and opposition on the part of the audience. This means that the audience does not simply passively accept a text, social control.

Reception Theory considers how texts were encoded with meaning by produces and then decoded by audiences.

Encoded: The original meaning
Decoded: What audiences interpretation was: What they've understood by it.

The theory suggests that:

• When a producer construct a text, it is encoded with a meaning and message that the producer wished to convey to the audiences. (Every text created has it's meaning and message to be sent across)
• In some cases, the audiences will correctly decode the message or meaning by understanding the message intended.
• Sometimes the audiences will either reject or fail to correctly understand the message.

Stuart Hall identified three types of audience reading (or decoding) of the text:

1. DOMINANT OR PREFERRED.
2. NEGOTIATED
3. OPPOSITIONAL

1) Dominant

This is where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to and broadly agrees with it. (The right message came across to the audience)

For example: While watching a political message and agreeing with what's been said.

2) Negotiated

Where the audience accepts, rejects or refines elements of the text in light of previously held views.(Don't really care or just on either side)

3)Oppositional: Where the dominant meaning or recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons.

E.g Neither agreeing or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested. 

A good example is the Song 'Born in the USA' which was played in support of Ronald Ragen to become president. Many listen to the song and "think" that he's just telling the audience that being an American is a proud and patriotic thing and the citizens of American are instantly drawn into thinking that he may be a good president since he shows much pride. BUT!

What is the actual meaning of the song? What's the singer trying to say?

Looking back at the lyrics, you will find that it's about a hard background of living and being in the USA, it looks back into this person's bitter life who had to go to Vietnam for the war.

This song is an example of Oppositional as many people will agree that being an American is a great thing to do whereas others look at the lyrics and disagree which is what the producer wants.