Stuart Hall - 'Notes on Deconstructing the Popular'

Hall, Stuart (2007) ‘Notes on Deconstructing the Popular’ in Storey, John (ed) Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader. London: Pearson.

 In this article Hall tries to tackle the difficult terms of both 'popular' and 'culture'. They are both difficult terms as they both are ambiguous and can be explained by numerous definitions. This is why putting the two terms together can become problematic for a theorist such as Hall.

Hall discusses how researching histories of popular culture is unbeneficial to this study as histories can be inauthentic, yet to be written and inaccurate. With this is mind, Hall tries to tackle this by outlining three different definitions of ‘popular’ instead and the problems within each.

• Definition 1: ‘Popular’ is what the masses consume.

This is the ‘market and commercial’ definition of popular. Produced culture is described by many theorists as being ‘manipulated and debased’ by the ruling classes. By using this definition of culture it suggests that the masses are ‘cultural dopes’ and consume culture passively. He explains how this is a very unsocial view of the masses and is discussed by theorists who feel superior to the people.

Most cultural theorists view cultural texts as either ‘wholly corrupt’ or ‘wholly authentic’. Hall suggests that they are both and all cultural texts hold contradictions within themselves, as people do connect to them, but not passively. 

e.g. 'Daily Mirror' is written for the working class, imitates their style of speech, however is written by the ruling class. 

• Definition 2: ‘Popular culture’ is what ‘the people’ do or have done.

This is an anthropological view point. The problem with this definition is that it is too broad and would account for everything people do, much like an inventory. It is a descriptive way to describe culture and does not account for social and cultural change within popular culture.

e.g. Corronation Street imitates the lives of working class culture. Although inaccurate, people are still able to connect and identify with it.

• Definition 3: Popular culture is a struggle between classes.

This is Hall’s preferred definition. It focuses on the tension towards dominant culture and the constantly changing field of culture. He uses the example of a radical symbol within a year will become neutralised into fashion.