Question 1

Which of the following statements highlights an oppositional reading of beauty as presented by the media?

Accepted Answer

A)  I want to look and feel like one of the models I see in television commercials. 
B)  I know that my friends tell me that I can never be as thin as a model, but I am going to stay on this diet because I know that I can be. 
C)  I can look and feel my best without looking like a model. 
D)  I can be like a model if only I purchase the right makeup. 
A)  I want to look and feel like one of the models I see in television commercials. 
B)  I know that my friends tell me that I can never be as thin as a model, but I am going to stay on this diet because I know that I can be. 
C)  I can look and feel my best without looking like a model. 
D)  I can be like a model if only I purchase the right makeup. C

Question 2

Identify counter-hegemonic figures or institutions in our society. Why did you identify them as counter-hegemonic? What characteristics or principles cut across each of your examples? How might Hall respond to your examples?

Accepted Answer

Counter-hegemonic figures or institutions in our society can be identified as those that challenge the dominant ideologies and power structures. These can include social movements, activist groups, alternative media outlets, and non-traditional educational institutions. I identify them as counter-hegemonic because they actively work to disrupt and subvert the dominant narratives and systems of oppression in our society.

One example of a counter-hegemonic figure is Angela Davis, a prominent activist and scholar who has consistently challenged systems of racism, sexism, and capitalism. Another example is the Black Lives Matter movement, which has mobilized to challenge police brutality and systemic racism. These figures and institutions share the characteristic of actively resisting and challenging the status quo, and they are guided by principles of social justice, equality, and liberation.

Stuart Hall might respond to these examples by acknowledging their importance in challenging dominant ideologies and power structures. He might also emphasize the role of these counter-hegemonic figures and institutions in creating space for alternative narratives and perspectives to emerge. Additionally, he might highlight the ways in which these examples illustrate the ongoing struggle for social change and the importance of collective action in challenging hegemonic forces.

Question 3

Gramsci's work was based on Marx's idea of ___________, the notion that people are unaware of the domination in their lives.

Accepted Answer

A)  false consciousness 
B)  dominant-hegemonic decoding 
C)  theater of struggle 
D)  culture wars 
A)  false consciousness 
B)  dominant-hegemonic decoding 
C)  theater of struggle 
D)  culture wars A

Question 4

Cultural Studies differs from classical Marxist Theory because it

Accepted Answer

A)  has integrated a variety of perspectives including the arts, humanities, and social sciences 
B)  has expanded the notion of the subordinate beyond laborers to include additional marginalized groups such as ethnic minorities, women, and the mentally ill 
C)  elaborates on Marx's notion of what constitutes everyday life 
D)  all of these 
A)  has integrated a variety of perspectives including the arts, humanities, and social sciences 
B)  has expanded the notion of the subordinate beyond laborers to include additional marginalized groups such as ethnic minorities, women, and the mentally ill 
C)  elaborates on Marx's notion of what constitutes everyday life 
D)  all of these

Question 5

How would you use Cultural Studies to formulate a study of how a particular dominant group uses the media to influence culture and maintain their hegemonic status? Formulate a research question and describe your study. Be sure to specify what group and messages are the focus of your study.

Accepted Answer

Research Question: How does the dominant

Question 6

Cultural Studies Theory is a theoretical perspective that focuses on how culture is influenced by powerful, dominant groups.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Marxist thinkers who believed working-class oppression was due to corporate-owned media have been called the

Accepted Answer

A)  Cultural-Critical School 
B)  Frankfurt School Theorists 
C)  Modern-Day Marxists 
D)  Berlin University Scholars 
A)  Cultural-Critical School 
B)  Frankfurt School Theorists 
C)  Modern-Day Marxists 
D)  Berlin University Scholars

Question 8

All of the following critiques of Cultural Studies Theory are true EXCEPT

Accepted Answer

A)  It is possible to translate some of the theory into daily life, making it somewhat useful. 
B)  Its Marxist influence has drawn scholars from philosophy, economics, and social psychology. 
C)  Its representation of the oppressed as able to engage in counter-hegemony has been cited as one of the great strengths of the theory. 
D)  Many of the principles and features of cultural studies have been investigated, such as ideology and hegemony. 
A)  It is possible to translate some of the theory into daily life, making it somewhat useful. 
B)  Its Marxist influence has drawn scholars from philosophy, economics, and social psychology. 
C)  Its representation of the oppressed as able to engage in counter-hegemony has been cited as one of the great strengths of the theory. 
D)  Many of the principles and features of cultural studies have been investigated, such as ideology and hegemony.

Question 9

Individuals who are dominated frequently use the same resources to challenge that domination.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

The pro-life and pro-choice groups want to make their meanings concerning the product of conception (e.g., fetus or baby) the dominant meaning in the debate. Their struggle to promote their desired meaning takes place in the courtroom, the media, and the classroom. The pro-life/pro-choice debate is a good example of

Accepted Answer

A)  the theatre of struggle 
B)  counter-hegemony 
C)  mainstreaming 
D)  a culture war 
A)  the theatre of struggle 
B)  counter-hegemony 
C)  mainstreaming 
D)  a culture war

Question 11

Hall argues that ________ include(s) the languages, concepts, and categories different social groups use in order to make sense of their environments.

Accepted Answer

A)  hegemony 
B)  modes of alienation 
C)  ideology 
D)  encoding 
A)  hegemony 
B)  modes of alienation 
C)  ideology 
D)  encoding

Question 12

Hall refers to the notion that various ideologies in society compete and are in temporary states of conflict as a

Accepted Answer

A)  hegemonic struggle 
B)  theatre of struggle 
C)  class struggle 
D)  none of the above 
A)  hegemonic struggle 
B)  theatre of struggle 
C)  class struggle 
D)  none of the above

Question 13

Cultural Studies Theory argues that meaning in our culture is not influenced by the media.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

Shortly after the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003, photos and news stories were published showing Iraqis cheering in the streets, pulling down statues of Saddam Hussein, and greeting U.S. soldiers as liberators. Some anti-war groups, however, rejected these images and accused the military and mainstream news organizations as "staging" these events and reactions, even to the point of paying actors to appear in these scenes. These groups could be described as engaging in decoding the mainstream war coverage from which position?

Accepted Answer

A)  dominant 
B)  hegemonic 
C)  oppositional 
D)  negotiated 
A)  dominant 
B)  hegemonic 
C)  oppositional 
D)  negotiated

Question 15

When Murdock notes that "all groups are constantly engaged in creating and remaking meaning systems and embodying these meanings in expressive forms, social practices, and institutions," he is referring to which concept of Cultural Studies?

Accepted Answer

A)  culture 
B)  hegemony 
C)  theater of struggle 
D)  negotiated decoding 
A)  culture 
B)  hegemony 
C)  theater of struggle 
D)  negotiated decoding

Question 16

Which of the following is NOT one of the positions of decoding articulated by Hall?

Accepted Answer

A)  create an individual code 
B)  operate within the dominant code 
C)  allow for cultural exceptions 
D)  substitute alternative messages 
A)  create an individual code 
B)  operate within the dominant code 
C)  allow for cultural exceptions 
D)  substitute alternative messages

Question 17

In December 2005, it was discovered that the U.S. military had been employing journalists to write pro-U.S. stories about the war and paying Iraqi newspaper editors to have them published in Iraqi newspapers. Analyze this phenomenon from the perspective of Cultural Studies, invoking as many concepts as you deem relevant.

Accepted Answer

From a Cultural Studies perspective, the

Question 18

Power operates at only a few levels in humanity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

With which approach(es) to knowing is Cultural Studies most closely associated?

Accepted Answer

A)  positivist/empirical and critical 
B)  interpretive 
C)  critical and interpretive 
D)  positivist/empirical 
A)  positivist/empirical and critical 
B)  interpretive 
C)  critical and interpretive 
D)  positivist/empirical

Question 20

The notion that audiences are not always willing and compliant pawns of the dominant class relates to which of the following concepts?

Accepted Answer

A)  counter-hegemony 
B)  dominant-hegemonic decoding 
C)  hierarchy 
D)  alienation 
A)  counter-hegemony 
B)  dominant-hegemonic decoding 
C)  hierarchy 
D)  alienation

Exam 25: Cultural Studies

Which of the following statements highlights an oppositional reading of beauty as presented by the media?

Identify counter-hegemonic figures or institutions in our society. Why did you identify them as counter-hegemonic? What characteristics or principles cut across each of your examples? How might Hall respond to your examples?

Gramsci's work was based on Marx's idea of ___________, the notion that people are unaware of the domination in their lives.

Cultural Studies differs from classical Marxist Theory because it

How would you use Cultural Studies to formulate a study of how a particular dominant group uses the media to influence culture and maintain their hegemonic status? Formulate a research question and describe your study. Be sure to specify what group and messages are the focus of your study.

Cultural Studies Theory is a theoretical perspective that focuses on how culture is influenced by powerful, dominant groups.

Marxist thinkers who believed working-class oppression was due to corporate-owned media have been called the

All of the following critiques of Cultural Studies Theory are true EXCEPT

Individuals who are dominated frequently use the same resources to challenge that domination.

Hall argues that ________ include(s) the languages, concepts, and categories different social groups use in order to make sense of their environments.

Hall refers to the notion that various ideologies in society compete and are in temporary states of conflict as a

Cultural Studies Theory argues that meaning in our culture is not influenced by the media.

When Murdock notes that "all groups are constantly engaged in creating and remaking meaning systems and embodying these meanings in expressive forms, social practices, and institutions," he is referring to which concept of Cultural Studies?

Which of the following is NOT one of the positions of decoding articulated by Hall?

Power operates at only a few levels in humanity.

With which approach(es) to knowing is Cultural Studies most closely associated?

The notion that audiences are not always willing and compliant pawns of the dominant class relates to which of the following concepts?

Thinking About Communication: Definitions, Models, and Ethics

Thinking About the Field: Traditions and Contexts

Thinking About Theory and Research

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Coordinated Management of Meaning

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Expectancy Violations Theory

Uncertainty Reduction Theory

Social Exchange Theory

Social Penetration Theory

Relational Dialectics Theory

Communication Privacy Management Theory

Social Information Processing

Groupthink

Structuration Theory

Organizational Culture Theory

Organizational Information Theory

The Rhetoric

Dramatism

The Narrative Paradigm

Agenda Setting Theory

Spiral of Silence Theory

Uses and Gratifications Theory

Cultivation Theory

Media Ecology Theory

Face-Negotiation Theory

Communication Accommodation Theory

Muted Group Theory

Feminist Standpoint Theory

Filters