Representationsstudier

Representationsstudier is an interdisciplinary field that examines how representations of people, objects, events, and ideas are produced, circulated, and interpreted across culture, media, and social institutions. The discipline investigates how symbols, images, language, and practices contribute to what is known, valued, and considered legitimate, emphasizing that representations often shape social reality rather than merely reflecting it. It pays attention to both creation and reception, recognizing the active role audiences play in interpreting representation.

The field draws on linguistic and semiotic theory, sociology, anthropology, psychology, and media studies. Theoretical strands include social representations theory, discourse analysis, framing, and studies of stereotypes and stigma. Researchers distinguish between cognitive representations held by individuals and collective representations shared by groups, communities, or societies, and they explore how these representations reproduce or challenge power relations.

Methods commonly used in representationsstudier include content analysis, discourse analysis, semiotic analysis, ethnography, reception studies, and diverse digital methods. Researchers analyze data from news coverage, film, literature, political speeches, advertising, and social media to trace how representations are constructed, how they travel across platforms, and how they influence attitudes, identities, and behavior.

Applications span topics such as gender, race and ethnicity, sexuality, class, and national identity representations; representations of science and technology; cultural memory and museum displays; and public policy debates. Critical approaches in the field often examine power, ideology, and marginalization embedded in representation processes, aiming to illuminate how social differences are constructed and negotiated through symbolic form.