Habermas - The Public Sphere Theory

In 1981 Habermas published The Theory of Communicative Action, in which he develops on the concept of an ideal speech situation and accompanying ethics of discourse. The theory of communicative action was applied by Habermas to politics and law, advocating a "deliberative democracy" in which governmental institutions and laws would be open to free reflection and discussion by the public. A key obstacle to the institution of this forum of open policy making is the legitimacy of private property, as it divides interests and makes unequal the situations of individuals. Habermas believes that within his form of democracy, men and women aware of their interest in self-governance and responsibility would seek to adhere only to the most rational argument.

This is where he came up with the Public Sphere Theory. He defines the public sphere as the sphere of private people who join together to form a 'public'. Habermas argues that the self-interpretation of the public sphere took shape in the concept of 'public opinion'. Jurgen Habermas concept of the public sphere is a realm within social life in which os accessible to all. The engagement within the public sphere according to Habermas is blind to class positions and the connections between activists in the public sphere are formed through a mutual will to take part in matters that have a general interest. The public sphere, according to Habermas, is a product of democracy. 

http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/public/summary.html

A public sphere began to emerhe in the 18th centurey through the growth of coffee houses, literart and other societies, voluntary associations and the growth of the press. The success of the public sphere depends upon: 

1. the extents of access 
2. The degree of autonomy
3. the rejection of hierarchy
4. the rule of law
5. the quality of participation. (Rutherford 18)

Public and Private:
The private and public spheres are featured as dual environments of a common lifeworld which are symbolically reproduced through everyday communication for the purposes of cultural reproduction, social integration and socialisation.

In my opinion the best way to emerge with public sphere would be social-media by using networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. With regards to my own product, as I am aware of how effective these media platforms are I will create these pages in order to reach my audience.

David Gauntlett + Reception Theory- Stuart Hall

The Reception Theory involves media producers encoding a text in a certain way in order to convey a particular message. The audience can then decode the meaning in three different ways...

1. Preferred or Dominant Reading; this consists of the audience perceiving the message that the producers wanted them to have. The audience will fully share the text's codes and accepts + reproduces the Preferred Reading, in such a way that the code will seem 'natural'. For example, look at the McDonald's advertisement to the right...the dominant reading of this would be that the 'Big Mac' is a delicious sandwich , of which the consumers will accept and would now want to go and buy the Big Mac.                                                                                                                      
2. Oppositional Reading; this is where some audience members will think the opposite of message, that the producer intended to encode them with. This is due to their social situation, which places them in a directly oppositional relation to the dominant code. Although they do understand the Preferred code, they do not share the same understanding and rejects this reading.  Referring to the advert once again, this time the audience will believe in the opposite meaning, which in this case would mean that the audience would feel that the image of the Big Mac looks greasy and unhealthy so would not go and purchase nor eat the product.                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
3. Negotiated Reading; this is where the audience will accept part of the Preferred Reading, yet use their own experiences and opinions to refine their view. This position involves contradictions. The consumer would therefore resist and modify the text in a way which reflects their own position. This reading with regards to the Big Mac advertisement, would mean that yes the audience would agree with the message and would want to eat the food item, yet the consumers modifies the message in a way which relates to their own particular situation. For example, the Preferred Reading comes from the fact that the consumer does want the Big Mac but may rejects because they are on a diet and trying to be healthy. 

How does the reception theory relate to my film?

The audience of my film trailer would primarily be girls aged between 16-24, as I feel this group of the audience would be most suitable with regards to the narrative and genre of the film.

If my audience was passive, they would accept the meaning without thinking. However, I feel that my audience would be more active as they are older and intelligent, meaning that the message they receive through the film is likely to be negotiated, as they are older and more understanding. The message I feel which would be portrayed through my trailer is most likely to be that young girls are vulnerable/you should not tell lies or keep secrets as the consequences will show in the end. The reason I feel it would be negotiated is because my audience can base their own experiences of similar situations which will be likely to determine their viewpoint.

I also believe my secondary audience will use the same type of reading.

David Gauntlett- Making is Connecting.

In 2008, Gauntlett proposed the idea of 'Making is Connecting' which is an attempt to rethink audience studies in the context of media users as producers as well as consumers of media material. It argues that there is a change from the previous 'sit back and be told' culture, where the production of culture was dominated by professional elite producers, to a 'making and doing' culture, where consumers are able to make and share their own ideas, videos and other creative material online. 

It is thought that the 'making and doing' culture, is where people are able to engage with the World and create connections with each other. Both online and offline, people want to make their mark and make connections. People are rejecting traditional teaching and television, and making their own learning and entertainment instead.

For example, take the film 'Life In A Day', this is a film which has been created by members of the audience, all of whom are filming a day in their life (24th July 2010), of which contributed to the narrative of the film.
The media producer received 4,500 hours of video from 192 different countries.
This is an example of how consumers have become producers of media.
Click here to view the trailer.

How does this theory relate to my film?
As the consumers of my film could also potentially be producers, I may consider introducing a feature where my consumers can get involved. This could involve using social networking sites whereby they could post videos/short clips of their ideas or remakes of similar situation.
Furthermore, the consumers could produce different types of media platforms which was act towards promoting my product, introducing the brand to further members of the audience.