Critical Theory: Audience Theory: Reception Theory

Today we discussed as a class the issue of RECEPTION THEORY. This theory was developed by academic STUART HALL at Birmingham University in the 1970's

This theory considered how texts were ENCODED with a meaning by producers and then DECODED by the audience. 

The theory Suggests:

The PRODUCERS construct a text which is ENCODED with a meaning or MESSAGE that the producer wishes to convey.

In some instances, audiences will correctly DECODE THE MEANING and understand the message.

In other instances the audience will either REJECT or FAIL to correctly understand the MESSAGE.

Hall identified three types of AUDIENCE READINGS.

Dominant 

• where the audience decodes the message as producer wants them too and the audience broadly agree with them

Negotiated

• audience accepts, rejects or refines the elements of the text in light of previous held views. For example neither agreeing or disagreeing with the political speech or being disinterested.

Oppositional

• Where the dominant meaning is recognised but rejected for cultural, political or idelogical reasons

This was shown with the song Born in the USA. The song is recognised as a song that symbolises the USA and was used in the republican presidential campaign. HOWEVER, by examing the lyric of the song, The OPPOSITION reception theory comes into play as the song does infact criticise the 'american' way of life.