For centuries the media has influenced the way society thinks and feels. However whether the media influences intentionally or not is another debate. Stuart Hall is a retired professor of sociology at the Open University. Hall is responsible for the communications theory of Cultural Studies. Although Hall believed that media does produce images that may at times influence society his theory states that the way a theory is interpreted is left up to the people. When I read the chapter I visualized Hall's theory similar to the human digestive system. The viewers eat the information that is being given to them and as they digest the body decides what to do with the "food." Is it believable and used to better the body or is it disagreeable and turned to waste? This is where the obstinate audience comes into play. Is the "food" operating inside the dominant code and accep
ted, applying a negotiable code, or will it be substituting an oppositional code?
ted, applying a negotiable code, or will it be substituting an oppositional code?It's not just the words we speak that can interrupted oppositely but it's also visual images or even people.
In the musical Wicked the Wizard sings a song to Elephaba about one person can be looked at completely oppositely by different people. Here is a video clip from the show and the lyrics so you can read at your own pace.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-WxYP3R1S8
I still have one last question. Who is the person who decided what was wrong and what was right? What is true and what is false? And why have we believed them all this time?
I think that Stuart was right in thinking that it is up to the individual to interpret signs and theories according to one’s own judgment or opinion. As basic as this may sound, it is so true, because that’s almost what the foundation of what life is all about. That is why there are apples and oranges, black and white, and so on. So much of what life is all about is having different opinions on things on forming one’s own judgments on everyday situations, which may not always match up with those of the people around you. In terms of the Wicked example, Elphaba was seen as the outcast throughout much of the show, but what she came to realize, as well as many of her peers over time is that one’s outward appearance should not be the determining factor in who a person is, and that there are more to people than how they appear physically. Although she was green on the outside, the wizard accepted her for who she was all along, which made him such a wonderful guy, much of the reason why he was such a wonderful sort in the eyes of so many. In terms of what is wrong and right or true and false, I would like to believe that those sorts of things have been determined by a higher being a long time ago, and that we believe them because of the faith that we put in that being, but I suppose for many those questions are still left unanswered, or at least somewhat negotiable.
ReplyDeleteTo some extent I believe what Sarah has said about the questions Catherine posted: Who is the person who decided what was wrong and what was right? What is true and what is false? And why have we believed them all this time?
ReplyDeleteSarah said that she would like to believe that these sorts of things have been determinded by ahigher being a long time ago,and that we put faith in that being. I think soem of this is true, but I would also like to think that most of what we believe in now is based off of what we learn form our parents. The morals that we have now are rooted in us from a young age and thats how soem of us know what is right and wrong and our parents are the reason we know them and their parents are the reason they know morals.
Stuart was right in thinking that the individual needs to interpret signs and theories as the see fit. I makes sense to me for a person to make sense of something by themselves and form an opinion that way. I also like the way Catherine connected what Hall was saying to the digestive system in out body, it was very creative.