The Brief Explanation of Representation according Stuart Hall

According to Hall (2005: 18-20), representation is the ability to describe or imagine. Representation is important because culture is always formed through meaning and language, in this case, language is a symbolic form or a form of representation.

The meaning of culture itself is always mediated by language to be shared with each member of culture. From this, Hall points out the importance of representation as a means of communication and social interaction, in fact he asserts representation as a basic communication need without which humans cannot interact.

Furthermore, Hall (1997: 15) divides representation into three forms; (1) Reflective Representations, (2) Intensiveional Representations, and (3) Constructionist Representations. Reflective representation is language or various symbols that reflect meaning. Intensiveional representation is how language or symbols embody the personal purpose of the speaker. While the constructionist representation is how meaning is reconstructed 'in' and 'through' language.

Specifically for constructionist representation, Hall coined two approaches to study it, namely the semiotic approach and the discourse approach. This thinking likens its form to the concepts of encoding and decoding that Hall spawned in media studies. Encoding is how information is packaged by the speaker (producing information), while decoding is how information consumption reconstructs the information (Storey, 2006: 11-12).

Regarding representation, Hall (1997: 20-21) helped spark the famous political thought of representation. In the formulation, there are four stages that can be done to practice the politics of representation. First, reduce internal conflicts. Second, creating a mutual consensus. Third, reach public space. Fourth, the results of the various previous stages, if the politics of representation does not work, then every member of the culture must start from the initial stage again - the cultural circuit.

The first stage is done to create group integration or solidarity. The second stage is the effort to construct how a group or "we" wants to be seen by other parties (groups). The public space referred to in the third stage is a place where a group can channel its various aspirations, now both virtual and concrete public spaces. In the fourth stage, an evaluation of the steps in the previous stage is carried out, especially if the politics of representation has not produced maximum results, such as reduction of internal conflicts that have not been optimal, consensus that has not reached unanimity, and so forth.

It should be noted that representation politics is different from "identity politics". Identity politics becomes part of the politics of representation, but politics of representation is not necessarily part of politics of identity. This is because identity politics often exploits SARA issues in practical political contexts, and is often carried out by the majority to intimidate minority groups. Meanwhile, the politics of representation is carried out by minority parties, oriented primarily to providing space for their culture, while the practical political implications are merely secondary or incipient. In other words, the main orientation of identity politics is political power, while the politics of representation is culture.

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Reference;

Hall, Stuart. 1997. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. London: Sage Publications.
__________. 1997. Representation and The Media. Media Education Foundation: Northampton.
__________. 2005. Culture, Media, Language. CCCS: Birmingham.
Storey, John. 2006. Cultural Studies and Pop Culture Studies. Yogyakarta: Jalasutra.