On Stuart Hall's Theory Of Articulation

Stuart Hall is the contemporary western famous cultural theorists and cultural critic, the second generation leaders of CCCS. As a heavy hitter in British cultural studies, Hall has initiated a new era of cultural studies of his own by the theory of articulation. Articulation, a keyword which has rich connotations, used and developed by Marx, Gramsci, Louis Althusser, Laclau, etc. Hall promoted it into the most widely accepted theory by the help of Gramsci's hegemony theory and the achievements Marx, Althusser and Laclau have made about articulation.From Hall's point of view, an articulation means two or more different elements connected together in certain conditions, which reflects the practice of a relevancy built by constructing unity in different elements. As a result, articulation is a construct, neither inevitable nor unconditional, but a contextual product. In other words, articulation is a certain way different elements joint together under specific timing. This forms a new mechanism or acquiring some new meaning after joint, including the theory itself. Hall's theory of articulation provides a new paradigm of culture research. In the interpretation of the relations between culture and power, its ideological analysis shows a unique and deep interpretation functions and practical strategies. On that basis, we can outline the leading role the theory of articulation played in Hall's cultural studies, from the application of Hall's theory of articulation, especially selecting the representative theories in his different periods of academic course. This paper argues that, though Hall hasn't given a detailed overview of the theory of articulation or it's not a complete theoretical system, he utilizes it well in his books. The theory of articulation demonstrates the consistency of methodology in cultural studies. What's more, the theory of articulation constructed in response to the demand of cultural studies reflects a pursuit of anti-essentialism. Articulation is construction in many cases, generating its significance in the specific context.In Hall's opinion, the theory of articulation more embodied in a practice, an interpretation of dissolution and construction about culture and politic, discourse and spread, ethnic diaspora and identity, etc. Therefore, this paper is characterized by revealing the connotations of the theory of articulation from the practice. On this base, this paper summarized the following enlightenments of Hall's theory of articulation for the contemporary culture research. First, give full play to the strategy role of articulation, namely, a kind of intervention mechanism, reconstructing connections in the cultural and economic disjointed places. Second, explore a way sharing different equality and freedom survival under the guide of articulation when facing the multicultural fusion and conflict. At last, in capitalist cultural analysis and cultural criticism, adhere to the anti-essentialism position.