Stuart Hall, a sociology professor at the Open University in the United Kingdom, is renowned for his cultural analysis. For the past 30 years, he has been at the forefront of studies on the impact of the media on society. The representation concept, connected to cultural studies, is the main emphasis of Hall’s work.

He advocates a perspective on representation—one that’s more active and creative. It helps explain how representation shapes people’s worldviews and their roles in it. Hall argues that representation is simple and key to understanding communication in many ways. He points out that images can be interpreted in many ways, and there is no guarantee that they will be received as intended.

In today’s world, Hall’s work challenges the idea that media has a straightforward and powerful influence. He emphasizes that communication is tied to power. Those in power influence what the media shows, and Hall examines how messages work in complex ways that are connected to power structures. At the same time, he looks at how different representations interact in everyday life.

The idea of representation is way more complicated than it seems at first glance. Hall starts by talking about how culture is defined, which ties closely to representation. He shows how visual representation is everywhere in modern culture—whether it is in still images, moving pictures, or media across all kinds of platforms. Moreover, this is not just limited to Western industrialized societies. A global communication boom shapes modern culture.

In cultural studies, representation plays a big role. Hall focuses on how representation shapes cultural texts that media share. He dives into how this process works, trying to make sense of its importance in cultural analysis.

Hall argues that every act of struggle shapes history. However, the struggle is in the real world, not the fictional world. He applies this idea to theory using a three-field Marxist perspective:

• Investigating the ways in which ideology influences communication and human behavior.
• Examining cultural hegemony and conflict.
• Redefining Marxism with its application in society.

Hall connects the abstract with the real, blending theory and practice. He keeps things real and relevant by not distinguishing between the different.

The real, historical, and social context is not just the subject of study—it is also what makes everything possible. Hall’s approach is not just political; it is a Marxist attempt to create a full framework for understanding different parts of reality. He pushes back against the “magical thinking” of empiricists who claim they have a clear and direct connection to the real world. Instead, Hall looks for ideas that can actually deal with how messy and complicated reality is.

He also criticizes a too-abstract take on Marx’s theory, where the relationship between ideas and real-world experiences is seen as just moving back and forth between different levels of abstraction. Hall avoids both the relativity of rationalism and the over-simplicity of abstract theory. For him, the value of ideas lies in how useful they are for helping people understand the complicated and contradictory nature of life.

When it comes to “representation,” Hall says it is more than just conveying something that already exists. The idea that representations reflect pre-existing meanings does not cut it. Hall wants to break away from this simplistic view and give us a new way to think about cultural representation.

Political figures act as society’s representatives, shaping how things are represented. However, they only sometimes capture the full picture of what society believes. Still, they step in when the public cannot represent itself. Representation is about more than just leaders or politics—it is about how people, events, and situations are portrayed and how these portrayals create meaning.

At its core, representation is about assigning meaning to things—like objects or events—through images or other media. The meanings Hall talks about often spark debate, with scholars and the public interpreting them differently. It highlights the gap between what is seen as the “true” meaning of something and how it is represented.

During the late capitalism and rising global militarism turbulence, Hall teamed up with Doreen Massey and Michael Rustin to challenge neoliberalism’s grip. Instead of following the popular anarchist-inspired approach, they rejected a rigid manifesto idea. They argued for a radical alternative that tackles neoliberalism’s core assumptions, not just its effects. They feel that solving today’s problems requires this.

They argue that redefining progress and reevaluating principles is the best way to counter neoliberalism. Their principles are equality, care, inclusivity, and participation rather than profit. By leaving their vision open-ended, they aimed to promote participatory decision-making—something many successful leftist movements strive for.

Along with challenging leftists and workers to question and overturn governments’ assumptions, Hall and his colleagues emphasize the importance of addressing the real struggles of the working poor. Too often, these people are unfairly labeled as lazy or greedy. The manifesto responds directly to the practical needs of everyday people, offering guidance and advice to Hall and others striving for their vision.

In modern cultural studies, the idea of representation is often dismissed as being too simplistic. According to Stuart Hall, this occurs because people need to inquire about the “true” or permanent meaning of any event in cultural representation. It complicates matters and makes navigating more difficult. A thorough understanding of an event requires considering its historical background, comprehending the goals and objectives of all parties involved, and attempting to forecast its outcomes.

The concept of stable meaning is elusive in today’s environment. Discussions, debates, and interpretations of events are taking place. Events have an impact and matter even if there is not a single “true” meaning. The meaning of something feels ambiguous and subject to question.

Representation is not just something that happens after an event—it is part of the event itself. It helps shape and even change the meaning of what happened. Representation does not stand outside the event, happening later. It is woven into the event and is part of its very essence.

According to Hall, culture is a secondary component that drives behavior. Culture influences our perceptions and interpretations. A society cannot function or understand its environment without a framework. Culture provides us with a map of that understanding. However, the meanings in which culture is understood and accepted are flexible.

Hall argues that culture is really about the act of producing representational meaning. Philosophers and cultural thinkers see culture as important because it prevents society from descending into chaos. Globalization makes this even clearer. Societies are becoming more connected and interdependent, though not in the same way everywhere. Modern globalization is much more integrated than the closed and relativistic systems of the past, although this type of globalization involves a mixture of acceptance of differences.

According to Hall, an image has power because it conveys a significant message. It initiates meaning-making, regardless of whether it conforms to social norms or seems unusual. By showing itself outside the norm, an image invites questioning and interpretation, leading to deeper understanding.

When we look at the role of images and what they mean for how society makes sense of things, it brings up big questions: Who holds power in representation? How does closure happen? Moreover, how does symbolic power work in shaping meaning? The goal often seems to be to make certain meanings feel “natural,” which shuts down other ways of understanding the world and blocks different perspectives. However, at the same time, representation is not fixed—it is open to multiple interpretations.

Representation can overturn established power by presenting new ideas about identity; in this sense, the politics of representation are related. Collectively, it influences the perception of others and shapes the identities represented in the media.