Stuart Hall's Representation Theory

Stuart Hall's Representation Theory

• Stereotypes- The media often portray stereotypes. 
• Stereotypes reduce people down to oversimplified cliches
• Stereotypes are often negative- Ethnic minorities, portrayed as dangerous or criminal. Almost all media products do this
• Stereotypes result from inequality of power- Hall also believes that stereotypes come about when people in power that are from the dominant hegemonic groups of society. Hegemonic power = dominant groups in society controlling those less powerful. In Britain this would be white, middle class heterosexual men that tend to have the most power and own most of the media. Which means there is a tendency for them to represent people from outside of those groups in a very stereotypical way because they have little experience from those groups. In newspapers we see people from these groups represented in very negative ways because the owners are the privileged white male backgrounds.
• There are few women or people of colour at the top of media industries. What tends to happen is they are seen as the more weaker more vulnerable groups or stereotypes in negative ways by people who make the media. 
• I need to be able to identify any stereotypes. Stereotypes of gender, ethnicity, age etc. and I need to identity if they are there and how they have been created. Is there a reason why hegemonically why those stereotypes are there, who own that product, who makes it, which is why those stereotypes are there in the first place. 

TV Drama

Stuart Hall’s representation theory	Homeland	Trapped
Stereotypes- clichés, negative,	Carrie is being shown as a women stereotype- she is easily hurt emotionally, talkative, cries a lot, emotional, verbal, pretty, sexualised. However, she proves the stereotype wrong in other ways- dominant, intelligent, not nurturing, decisive and a business women. Jessica- Not aggressive, dependent on a man as she replaces Brody when he is away, easily influenced, submissive as she goes along with unwanted sex, passive, home orientated, easily hurt emotionally, gentle, nurturing, kind, emotional, sexualised.
hegemonic groups (middle class white men in power). In Britain this would be white, middle class heterosexual men that tend to have the most power and own most of the media. Which means there is a tendency for them to represent people from outside of those groups in a very stereotypical way because they have little experience from those groups.	Saul is this man he is high in power, white. Other men in the show are also such as other political figures. Estes is black and the head of the CIA which proves it wrong. ALL PRODUCERS ARE WHITE Only three female executive producers 12 male.
There are few women or people of colour at the top of media industries.	Carrie is shown at the top of her career and is a business women. However there is no black women shown in power and only one back man.

Homeland 

Trapped

Stanley Hall- 'Anti-stereotypes'

• Andri more emotional, he wears is wedding ring still as he s still in love with his ex-wife Anges.
• Hinrika not sexualised, strong women who is good at her job. Carrie is the same but is sexualised and has a lot of metal illness. 
• Maria- A women who is a killer but also a women which is odd as women are not normally portrayed as the murderers in crime drama's it is usually the men.