1. Hegemony is not a household word in the United States. How would you explain
what the term means to your roommate? Can you think of a metaphor or an
analogy that would clarify this critical concept?
2. What is the nature of Hall’s complaint about American media scholarship?
3. Hall said that the media encode the dominant ideology of our culture. If you don’t
agree with his thesis, what evidence could he have mustered that would convince
you he’s right? What evidence would you provide to counter his argument?
4. In what way is Roland Barthes’ semiotic perspective (see Chapter 26) similar
to Hall’s cultural studies? How do they differ?
