The image of an idea or thing. At its most basic, representation means two things: (i) creating something that can stand for another thing---this is the sense in which a metaphor, to give only one example, is a form of representation; but it also applies to representative politics in which an elected person stands for their electorate in a particular political forum; (ii) creating something that is in at least some sense equivalent to another thing, most often because it resembles that other thing. For example, a photograph is a representation because its image closely resembles the actual object on a two-dimensional plane, but it is also (obviously, but this point is often forgotten) not the same as that other thing. critical theory, particularly the post-structuralism modulation, has taken a keen interest in representation because of the central problem of the relationship between the thing and its representation. Cultural Studies has also taken a keen interest in the problem of representation, recognizing that it is central to the kinds of political questions surrounding identity it is concerned with.