We enjoy the stretching of a genre in new directions and the consequent shifting of our expectations.

  

 Culture has a central role in representation. Through culture we interpret semiotics

  

 He looks at the issue within the most commonly used definition of representation, meaning to: re– present something which already holds meaning.

  

 No absolute fixed meaning to any one image or any occurrence. 

  

 Encoding/Decoding

  

 Dependent on the cultural context from when/where it is being presented or seen. 

  

 There is not a fixed meaning from which to re– present.

 
Representation as ‘giving meaning’- you are giving culture a central role.

  

 The basis of culture begins with shared of maps of meaning.

culture is an interpretative community that all understand the same meaning of interpretation. we as a culture share this map of meaning with other people

 
Although basic systems of classification are a basic genetic feature, the more complex cultural systems of classification are learnt. 

  

 Shared beliefs or conceptual maps are the views of the world that members of a society make and share together.

  

 Once language externalizes meaning, representation comes into effect

language allows us to conceptualise the past, present and future.

it tells us what things are

 

 These temporary forms of meaning are built upon and reinforced. The extremities are exaggerated.

 

 Hall states that it is essential that meaning can be changed. Meaning can only change because it cannot be finally fixed.

In order to exaggerate the difference between our culture and the cultures we exaggerate those differences and so our culture is exaggerated as well as other cultures 

  

 Power is the ability to fix meaning.

  

 Power role is to naturalize the idea that there is only one possible meaning (which usually benefits itself). It intends to close language, close meaning and stop the flow.

 

 We can’t finally fix negative representations, we can’t finally fix positive ones either. (Or may not have the power to)

 

 Hall asks us to go inside the image/stereotype and use it against itself, opening-up the practice of representation. 

 

 If we get inside the image and occupy the very terrain in which denies access to those that can’t make meaning. 

 

 Making the stereotype uninhabitable destroys normality, keeping representation open to new meaning and therefore new kinds of Stereotype.

 

 Unfix and un-limiting the definition of people created by the Stereotype.