Reception Theory

This theory was based on Stuart Hall's encoding/decoding model of the relationship between text and audience. the text is encoded by the producer, and understood by the reader, and there may be major differences between two different readings of the same code. However, by using recognised ideas and conventions, and by drawing upon audience expectations relating to aspects such as genre and use of more famous actors, the producers can position the audience and therefore create a certain amount of agreement on what the idea means.

ENCODING - media creates messages/signs
DECODING - audience receive and decode the message/sgins

There are 3 types of audience decodings:
Dominant
Negotiated
Oppositional

Dominant
Where the audience decodes the message as the producer wants them to do so and broadly agrees with it, eg watching a speech and agreeing with it.

Negotiated
Where the audience accepts, rejects, or refines elements of the text in light of previously held views, eg neither agreeing or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested.

Oppositional
Where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or ideological reasons, eg total rejection of the political speech and active opposition

In class we applied this to Maddonas 'What it Feels like for a Girl'



The audience would each interpret this in different ways. Females who see this video may interpret this as empowering and an example of modern feminism, showing women as not just sex objects but as people who exhibit power and can hold their own against men. Men however may see this video as offensive and an example of misandry, noting the double standards if it was instead a man in a car showing this aggressive behaviour towards women.