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Audiences (the theoretical framework)
Quick questions on Reception theory (Stuart Hall) - OCR A-Level Media Studies audiences
4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are the three reading positions?Show answer
Hall identifies three main ways audiences decode:
What is meaning is completed by the audience?Show answer
The crucial implication is that meaning is not fixed in the text; it is completed by the audience in the act of decoding. This makes the audience active, in contrast to direct-effects theories (Bandura, Gerbner) that treat the audience as more passive, and it connects to Gauntlett and participatory theory on audience agency.
What is q1?Show answer
Explain the difference between a negotiated and an oppositional reading. [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
Explain how audiences might decode one set product in different ways, using Hall. [10 marks]
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