1/5/2017 Encoding/decodingmodelofcommunicationWikipedia
Encoding/decodingmodelofcommunication
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TheEncoding/decodingmodelofcommunicationwasfirstdevelopedbyculturalstudiesscholarStuartHallin
[Link]'EncodingandDecodingintheTelevisionDiscourse,'Hall'sessayoffersatheoreticalapproachofhow
mediamessagesareproduced,disseminated,andinterpreted.[1]AsafounderoftheBirminghamSchoolof
CulturalStudies,[Link]
audiencesarepresentedwithmessagesthataredecoded,orinterpretedindifferentwaysdependingonan
individual'sculturalbackground,economicstanding,[Link]
thatdisempoweraudiences,Halladvancedtheideathataudiencememberscanplayanactiveroleindecoding
messagesastheyrelyontheirownsocialcontexts,andmightbecapableofchangingmessagesthemselves
[Link],Encoding/decodingisthetranslationofamessagethatiseasily
[Link],youareextractingthemeaningofthatmessageintotermsthatyouare
[Link]
[Link]
[Link],somebodylanguagesignsforwhensomeoneisupset,angry,orstressedwouldbe
auseofexcessivehand/armmovements,redintheface,crying,[Link]
someoneistryingtogetamessageacrosstosomeone,themessagecanbeinterpreteddifferentlyfrompersonto
[Link],basedontheinformationgiven
[Link],
decodingistheprocessofobtaining,absorbing,understanding,andsometimesusingtheinformationthatwas
giventhroughoutaverbalornonverbalmessage.
Forexample,sinceadvertisementscanhavemultiplelayersofmeaning,theycanbedecodedinvariouswaysand
canmeansomethingdifferenttodifferentpeople.[2]Hallclaimsthatthedecodingsubjectcanassumethree
differentpositions:Dominant/hegemonicposition,negotiatedposition,andoppositionalposition.
"Thelevelofconnotationofthevisualsign,ofitscontextualreferenceandpositioningindifferent
discursivefieldsofmeaningandassociation,isthepointwherealreadycodedsignsintersectwiththe
deepsemanticcodesofacultureandtakeonadditionalmoreactiveideologicaldimensions."
StuartHall,1980,"Encoding/decoding."[3]
Contents
1 Definition
2 Applicationofmodel
3 Dominant/hegemonicposition
4 Negotiatedposition
5 Oppositionalposition
6 Theencoding/decodingmodelcritique
7 Seealso
8 References
Definition
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[Link],andinorderto
createthat,thesenderneedstounderstandhowtheworldiscomprehensibletothemembersoftheaudience.
Intheprocessofencoding,thesender([Link])usesverbal([Link],signs,images,video)andnonverbal
([Link],handgestures,faceexpressions)symbolsforwhichheorshebelievesthereceiver(thatis,the
decoder)[Link],images,faceexpressions,signalsand/or
[Link].[4]
Thedecodingofamessageishowanaudiencememberisabletounderstand,[Link]
[Link]
[Link]
[Link],
itisstillpossibleforthemessagerecipienttounderstandamessageinacompletelydifferentwayfromwhatwas
[Link]"distortions"or"misunderstanding"arisefrom"lackof
equivalence"betweenthetwosidesincommunicativeexchange.[4]
Inhisessay,[1][Link],thetraditionalmodeliscriticizedforits
linearitysender/message/receiverandforitslackofstructuredconceptionofvariousmomentsasacomplex
[Link],thus,
advancesafourstagemodelofcommunicationthattakesintoaccounttheproduction,circulation,useand
[Link],he
[Link]
messagesinthediscursive"production"areorganizedthroughtheoperationofcodeswithintherulesof
"language.""Eachstagewillaffectthemessage(or"product")beingconveyedasaresultofits'discursiveform'
([Link],instruments,relations)."[1]Therefore,oncethediscourseisaccomplished,itmustbetranslatedinto
socialpracticesinordertobecompletedandeffective"Ifno'meaning'istaken,therecanbeno'consumption'."
Eachofthesestepshelpsdefinestheonethatfollows,whileremainingclearlydistinct.[1]Thus,eventhougheach
ofthesemoments(stages)areequallyimportanttotheprocessasawhole,theydonotcompletelyensurethatthe
followingmomentwillnecessaryhappen."Eachcanconstituteitsownbreakorinterruptionofthe'passageof
forms'onwhosecontinuitytheflowofeffectiveproduction([Link])depends."[1]
Thesefourstagesare:[1]
[Link],[Link]
own"discursive"aspect,asitisalsoframedbymeaningsandideasbydrawinguponsociety'sdominant
ideologies,thecreatorofthemessageisfeedingoffofsociety'sbeliefs,[Link]
[Link]"knowledgeinuseconcerningtheroutinesofproduction,
technicalskills,professionalideologies,institutionalknowledge,definitionsandassumptions,assumptions
abouttheaudience"[1]formthe"productionstructuresofthetelevision."[1]Ontheotherhand,"topics,
treatments,agendas,events,personnel,imagesoftheaudience,definitionsofthesituation'fromother
sourcesandotherdiscursiveformations"[1]formtheotherpartofwidersocioculturalandpoliticalstructure.
[Link]:[Link]
[Link]
the"source"andthe"receiver"[Link],circulationandreceptionofamedia
messageareincorporatedintheproductionprocessthroughnumerous"feedbacks."Socirculationand
perception,althoughnotidentical,arecertainlyrelatedtoandinvolvedintotheproductionprocess.
[Link](distributionorconsumption)Foramessagetobesuccessfully"realized","thebroadcastingstructures
mustyieldencodedmessagesintheformofameaningfuldiscourse."[1]Thismeansthatthemessagehasto
[Link],the
decoding/interpretingofamessagerequiresactiverecipients.
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[Link]
[Link]"aneffect"([Link],
instruct,entertain)with"verycomplexperceptual,cognitive,emotional,ideologicalorbehavioral
consequences."[1]Whatisdonewiththemessageafterithasbeeninterpretediswherethisstagecomesin.
Atthispoint,youwillseewhetherindividualstakeactionaftertheyhavebeenexposedtoaspecific
message.
Encodinganddecodingofbroadcaststructures
Sincediscursiveformplayssuchanimportantroleinacommunicativeprocess,Hallsuggeststhat"encoding"and
"decoding"are"determinatemoments."[1]Whathemeansbythatisthatanevent,forexample,cannotbe
transmittedinits"rawformat."Apersonwouldhavetobephysicallyattheplaceoftheeventtoseeitinsuch
[Link],hestatesthateventscanonlybetransportedtotheaudienceintheaudiovisualformsoftelevisual
discourse(thatis,themessagegoestoprocessesofproductionanddistribution).Thisiswhentheother
determinantmomentbeginsdecoding,orinterpretationoftheimagesandmessagesthroughawidersocial,
cultural,andpoliticalcognitivespectrum(thatis,theprocessesofconsumptionandreproduction).
"Theeventmustbecomea'story'beforeitcanbecomeacommunicativeevent."
StuartHall,1980,"Encoding/decoding"[1]
Applicationofmodel
[Link]'sworkhasbeen
centraltothedevelopmentofculturalstudies,[Link]
[Link]
membersmakemeaningsandunderstandrealitythroughtheiruseofculturalsymbolsinbothprintandvisual
media.[5]Itisimportanttolookatculturalresearchbecauseitsfocusondailyexperiences,lookingatrace,gender,
[Link],David
Morley,andJaniceRadwayhavebeenheavilyinfluencedbyHall,andappliedhistheorytohelpdeveloptheir
own:
HebdigewasaBritishculturalandcriticscholarthatstudiedunderHallattheBirminghamSchoolofCultural
[Link]'[Link]:
TheMeaningofStylewherehearguesthatyoungergenerationsarechallengingdominantideologiesby
developingdistinctstylesandpracticesthatmanifesttheirseparateidentity,[Link]
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punksubcultureoutlinesthepotentialcausesandinfluencesofthepunkmovement,[Link]
extensivestudyonsubculturesanditsresistanceagainstmainstreamsocietyshowedthatthepunksubcultureused
commodificationtodifferentiatethemselvesfrom,orbecomeacceptedby,themainstream.<Hebdigebelievedthat
punkwasincorporatedintothemediainanattempttocategorizeitwithinsociety,andhecriticallyexaminesthis
issuebyapplyingHall'stheoryofencodinganddecoding.
[Link]
researcherinconductingTheNationwideProjectinthelate1970s,Morleytookthispopularnewsprogramthat
[Link],andwasbroadcast
[Link]'sreceptiontheorytostudytheencoding/decodingmodelofthisnews
[Link]
[Link]
[Link]'[Link]
reacttocertainclipsoftheprogrambasedonHall'sthreedecodingmethods:dominant/hegemonic,negotiated,or
oppositional.
JaniceRadway,anAmericanliteracyandculturalstudiesscholar,conductedastudyonwomenintermsof
[Link]:Women,PatriarchyandPopularLiteratureRadwaystudieda
[Link]
personaltimeforwomenthatdidn'ttypicallyhaveanypersonaltimetothemselves.[5]Althoughherworkwasnot
seenasscientific,andherstudyappliedonlytoasmallgroupofwomen,shewasinterestedininterpretinghow
womencouldrelatetheireverydaylifetoafictionbook.[5]Asaresult,herstudydemonstratedthatthesestudies
definecultureinverybroadterms,becauseintheendcultureismadeupofthesymbolsofexpressionthatsociety
usestomakesenseofeverydaylife.[5]Radway'saudienceresearchworkedoffofHall'stheoryof
encoding/[Link]
wassomethingthatplayedahugeroleinRadway'[Link]
identifiedasthoughtheywerecharactersinthebookbutthemeaning,dependentupontheirbackgrounds,
identitiesandbeliefs,circulateswithinsocietyandisreinforcedbyHall'stheoryofencoding/decoding.
Dominant/hegemonicposition
CommunicationtheoristStuartHallarguesthattherearethreepositionsthatpeoplemaytakeupondecodinga
[Link]"decodingsdonotfollowinevitablyfrom
encodings.[6]"Thus,justbecauseamessageisencodedontelevisioninaparticularway,itdoesnotmeanitwillbe
[Link]'shypotheticalpositionsheneedsmultiple
[Link]
hegemonicposition,thenegotiatedposition,andtheoppositionalposition.
[Link]
consumertakestheactualmeaningdirectly,[Link],political
[Link]
the"hegemonicinterpretations"[7]Becausetheseideaswerehegemonicinterpretations,theybecamedominant.
Halldemonstratesthatifaviewerofanewscastonsuchtopicsdecodedthemessage"intermsofthereference
codeinwhichithasbeenencoded"thattheviewerwouldbe"operatinginsidethedominantcode"[8]Thus,the
dominantcodeinvolvestakingtheconnotativemeaningofamessageintheexactwayasenderintendedamessage
tobeinterpreted(encoded).Underthisframework,theconsumerislocatedwithinthedominantpointofview,and
[Link],thereisbarelyany
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misunderstandingbecauseboththesenderandreceiverhavethesameculturalbiases.[9]Thismeansthatthe
intendedmessagewascreatedbythedominantclassandthattherecipientwasalsoapartofthedominantpointof
view.
AmoderndayexampleofthedominanthegemoniccodeisdescribedbycommunicationscholarGarrett
Castleberryinhisupcomingarticle"UnderstandingStuartHall's'Encoding/Decoding'ThroughAMC'sBreaking
Bad".Castleberryarguesthatthereisadominanthegemonic"positionheldbytheentertainmentindustrythat
illegaldrugsideeffectscauselessdamagethanperceived".Ifthisisthedominantcodeandtelevisionshowslike
BreakingBadsupportsuchperceptions,thentheyareoperatingwithinthedominantcode[10]Likewise,aviewer
believingsuchperceptionswillalsobeoperatingwithinthedominanthegemoniccodesincetheyareencodingthe
messageinthewayitisintended.
Negotiatedposition
[Link]
[Link],butarenotwillingtocompletelyacceptthemessage
[Link],sharesthetextscodeandgenerallyacceptsthe
preferredmeaning,butissimultaneouslyresistingandmodifyingitinawaywhichreflectstheirownexperiences
andinterests.
Hallexplainsthiswhenhestates"decodingwithinthenegotiatedversioncontainsamixtureofadaptiveand
oppositionalelements:itacknowledgesthelegitimacyofthehegemonicdefinitionstomakethegrand
significations(abstract),while,atamorerestricted,situational(situated)level,itmakesitsowngroundrulesit
operateswithexceptionstotherule".[1]Basically,thismeansthatpeopleunderstandthedominantposition,they
generallybelievetheposition,buttheyareinasituationwheretheymustmakeuptheirownseparaterulesto
[Link]
example,heshowshowafactoryworkermayrecognizeandagreewiththedominantpositionthatawagefreezeis
[Link],whiletheworkermayrecognizethatthewagefreezeisneeded,theymaynotbewillingto
partakeinawagefreezesinceitwilldirectlyaffectthemratherthanothers[11]Hisexampledemonstratesthat
[Link]
context.
Oncemore,[Link]"Breaking
Bad,"Walter,themaincharacterhadadivorce,andmanyviewershadnegotiated"anacceptanceofWalter'ssins,
whilecommunicatingnegativediscourseconcerningSkylar[hiswife]".Thisnegativediscourse,accordingtothe
actorwhoplayedWalter'swifewasbecausehercharacter,[Link]
[Link],Walter'sactionswereagainstthedominantcode.
Becauseoftheseconflictingdominantcodes,Castleberryimpliesthatmanyviewersnegotiatedtheirowncode
whereWalter'sactionswereacceptedduetoSkylar'sroleasanuntraditionalwife.[10]
Oppositionalposition
Lastly,[Link]
(denotative)[Link]
meansthatapersonrecognizesthattheirmeaningisnotthedominantmeaning,orwhatwasintended,butalters
themessageintheirmindtofitan"alternativeframeworkofreference"[12]Thus,readers'orviewerssocial
situationhasplacedtheminadirectlyoppositionalrelationshiptothedominantcode,andalthoughthey
understandtheintendedmeaningtheydonotsharethetext'[Link],thiscodeisbased
[Link]'spersonalexperienceswilllikelyinfluencethemtotakeontheoppositional
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[Link]
as"eventswhicharenormallysignifiedanddecodedinanegotiatedwaybegintobegivenanoppositional
reading."[13]
Theencoding/decodingmodelcritique
Ross[14]suggeststwowaystomodifyHall'stypologyoftheEncoding/DecodingModelbyexpandingtheoriginal
version.[1]Whilepresentingthemodifiedtypology,Rossstressesthathissuggestedversiondoesn'timplyto
[Link]
explanationofoneofthealternativemodelssuggestedbyRoss,[14]whichisamorecomplextypologyconsisting
ofninecombinationsofencodinganddecodingpositions(Figure1andFigure2).Thereasonswhytheoriginal
modelneedstoberevisitedandthealternativemodeldescriptiontofollow.
InlinewithpreviousscholarshipcriticizingHall'smodel,Ross[14]andMorley[15]arguethatthemodelhassome
[Link],Morleymentionsthatinthedecodingstagethereisaneedtodistinguishcomprehension
[Link]'sunderstandingofthetextinthebasicsense
andthesender'sintention,andtopossiblereadersinterpretationsofthetext(borrowedfromSchroder[16]).
Evaluationishowreadersrelatethetexttotheideologicalposition(alsoborrowedfromSchroder[16]).
Second,Morley[15]discussestheproblemofunderstandingtheconceptofoppositionalreading'.Theremightbe
confusionbetweenreferringoppositionalreading'torejectingthepreferredmeaning(dominantideology)andto
[Link],imaginethatanoppositionalTVchannelproducedanewsstoryabout
[Link],areadercanfullysharethetext'scodeandaccept
itsmeaning,[Link]
thetext,s/hewouldbeinoppositiontothedominantideology(weunderstanddominantideologyhereas
promotinggovernmentinitiatives),whileinthesecondcasebydisagreeingwiththenewsstoryareaderwould
[Link]
mediaencodetextswithinthedominantideologyandthussuggestingthatmediaishomogeneousinnature.[14]
Inordertoaddresstheseproblems,Ross[14][Link]
distinguishbetweenthegraphicalmodelandthetypology,whichisdifferentdecodingpositions(dominant
hegemonic,negotiated,andoppositional).Thesecondstepistodividethemodelintotwoversions,anideology
version(Figure1)andatextrelatedversion(Figure2).
[Link]/decodingtypology(ideologyversion)[14]
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ENCODINGPOSITIONS
Dominanthegemonic Negotiated
Oppositionalencoding
encoding Encoding
(aradicaltext)
(Hall'sassumedmode) (partlycriticaltext)
Dominanthegemonic Dominanthegemonic Dominanthegemonic
Dominant reading reading
reading
hegemonic
ofdominanthegemonic ofnegotiatedtext ofoppositionaltext
position
text =Neutralization =Neutralization
DECODING Negotiatedreading
Negotiatedreading Negotiatedreading
POSITIONS Negotiated
ofdominanthegemonic
position ofnegotiatedtext ofoppositionaltext
(ideological) text
Oppositionalreading Oppositionalreading
Oppositionalreading
ofnegotiatedtext ofoppositionaltext
Oppositional
ofdominanthegemonic
position
text =Amplificationof =Agreementwith
critique oppositionaltext
ThemainadditiontobothnewtypologiesofHall'smodelisaddingtwotypesofencodingmeanings,whicharea
[Link]
messagesinthedominanthegemonicmanner,[1]Ross[14]takesastepfurtherandallow'mediainstitutionsto
[Link],mediatextsinbothHall'sversionscan
bedominanthegemonic(Hall'sassumedmode),partlycriticalorradical.
AnotheradditiontotheoriginalmodelistheappearanceofaNeutralizationcategorymeaningthatmediatexts
[Link]'s
lookattheupperrightcorneroftheRossideologyversion(Figure1)atthecellwhenaradicaltextintersectswith
[Link],neutralizationwillhappenifaTVnewsreportconveying
amessageaboutanoppositionalpoliticalpartyinRussiamaybeinterpretedbyaconservativeviewerasan
[Link]'snow
lookatthelowerrightcornerofthesameversionatthecellwhenaradicaltextisdecodedbyviewerswithinan
[Link]'needsexplanationthatitequalstothe
"agreementwithoppositionaltext"asreaderstextevaluationmightcausemisunderstanding.
[Link]/decodingtypology(textrelativeversion)[14]
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ENCODINGPOSITIONS
Negotiated
Dominanthegemonic Oppositional
Encoding
encoding encoding
(partlycritical
(Hall'sassumedmode) (aradicaltext)
text)
Textacceptance
Textaccepting Textacceptance Textacceptance
ofdominanthegemonic
position ofnegotiatedtext ofoppositionaltext
text
Text
DECODING Negotiationof Negotiationof Negotiationof
negotiation
POSITIONS
dominanthegemonictext negotiatedtext oppositionaltext
position
(textrelative)
Textoppositional Textoppositional Textoppositional
Text
oppositional readingofdominant readingof readingofoppositional
hegemonic negotiated text
position
text text =Neutralization
Inordertoavoidmisinterpretationsandtomakeanalternativetypologymorereaderfriendly,Rosssuggestsatext
relativeversionthatstressesnottheideologicaltendencyofthetext,butratherifreceiversareinagreementor
oppositionwithanykindoftext.[14]InthisversionRosschangedtheterm'dominanthegemonic'totext
acceptance'andtheterm'oppositional'totextoppositional'inordertoremindreadersthedifferencebetween
oppositiontothedominantideologyandoppositiontothetext.
InthetextrelativeversionaNeutralizationcategorymovedtothelowerrightcellwhilesavingitsmeaning.
Neutralizationmeansapplyingdominantideologytotheradicaltextorrejectingoppositionaltexts.
Toconclude,whileHall'sEncoding/Decodingmodelofcommunicationishighlyevaluatedandwidelyusedin
research,[Link]
originalmodelsummarizedbyRoss[14]andintroducedoneofthealternativewaystomodifyHall'stypology.
Seealso
Aberrantdecoding
References
[Link],S.(1980).Encoding/[Link],media,language,[Link]:
[Link]
[Link],Aidan,KatrinaLawlor,andStephanieO'Donohoe."Chapter8EncodingAdvertisements:TheCreative
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Hutchinson,[Link],[Link],Eds.(2001)."Encoding/Decoding".
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[Link],M.(2013).Businesscommunication:[Link]:
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forMillennials:[Link],K,&Hickly,J.(Eds.).NewYork:PeterLang.
[Link]
[Link]
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[Link],S.(2011,May25th).Theencoding/decodingmodelrevisited:AnnualMeetingoftheInternationalCommunication
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Retrievedfrom"[Link]
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