Blog tasks: Ideology

 Part 1: BBC Question Time analysis

Watch this clip from BBC Question Time with Russell Brand and Nigel Farage. The BBC deliberately placed the two against each other and the episode resulted in far more people than usual watching and reacting on social media.

BBC QUESTION TIME

1) What examples of binary opposition can you suggest from watching this clip?

• Rich and poor
• Bourgeoisie and Proletariat
• Arrogant and Helpful
• Middle-class and Working-class
• Justice and Injustice

2) What ideologies are on display in this clip?

The ideologies displayed are Liberalism and Conservatism. We also see their contrasting views on immigration and and over population.This allows the audience to see how much our government actually care regarding the issues broadcasting in their own country. Their lack of improvement of such issues foreshadows their beliefs and values as a whole creating a sense of insecurity within the country.

Part 2: Media Magazine reading

Media Magazine issue 52 has two good articles on Ideology. You need to read those articles (our Media Magazine archive is here) and complete a few short tasks linked to them. 

Page 34: The World Of Mockingjay: Ideology, Dystopia And Propaganda

1) Read the article and summarise it in one sentence.

 The dystopian representation of capitalist society in the latest Hunger Games film and the series as whole, drawing attention to elements where media theory can be most usefully applied.

2) What view of capitalist ideology is presented in the Hunger Games films?

Every district is poor; people struggle to survive on small amounts of food and minimum wages, while they work to provide coal, technology, food, power and other services to the Capitol.we can see that the ruling class keep the poor under control through civic means; armies of ‘Peacekeepers’ are sent to control each district and to punish anyone who tries to defy the authority, whilst providing them with so little money that many are forced to break the strict laws to find means of keeping their families alive.

3) What do the Hunger Games films suggest about the power of the media to shape and influence ideological beliefs?

But there is also a vital ideological element to the way Panem is run; those in power control ideas, as well as resources. The world is caught under the dictatorship of President Snow, a man who believes more in his own supreme leadership than the people of his country. He invests his creativity into The Games, he smells of blood and roses, and he purposefully aims to obliterate any hopes of rebellion. He believes that hope is the ‘only thing stronger than fear’, and he deals with rebels by spreading fear among the districts. He mainly does this through propaganda and the media, using constant repeats of previous ‘Hunger Games’ and airing the current ones live on TV to distract the masses from organising a revolution.

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

1) What are the four accepted ideological beliefs in western societies highlighted by the article?

• Good should overcome evil.

• Law is better than disorder.

• Pleasure is a goal in life.

These ideas are hard to disagree with; they are, arguably, a ‘given’, an obvious and unspoken set of values and beliefs that we accept and follow. They are at the core of our Western belief system, part of the social system which shapes and forms our identities, and makes us who we are today.

2) What does Gramsci's theory of hegemony suggest about power and ideology in society?

Italian Marxist philosopher Antonio Gramsci introduced the concept of hegemony, and its role in social control.

Gransci defined hegemony as an important way in which those in power maintain their control through consent, rather than the use of force. He argued that the power of ideology derives primarily from ideas and structures which support, and thus serve the purpose of, an elite social group which is able to dominate through ideas, rather than militaristic strength or fear.

Let’s take a simplified example from recent news events, to see Gramsci’s

concept of hegemony in practice:

The big idea The notion of trust in capitalism, banking, and trust in the

economic institutions of this country.

Who does this Idea best serve? The elite class, which controls the economy

and major institutions.

Is this a commonsense, accepted Idea in Britain? Yes, but the economic

crash of 2008 has challenged the assumptions it was based on.

3) What does French theorist Louis Althusser suggest about ideology and consumerism?

The French Marxist theorist Louis Althusser offers a way of understanding how we are controlled through ideology. His view was that ideology is the greatest material power

and dominates our day to day lives through two key forms of control:

1: Repressive State Control, also known as ‘Repressive State Apparatuses’ (RSAs) through the major institutions of society – the Government, Army, Police, Courts, etc. – which are dominated by the ruling elite. These state agencies regulate social behaviour and repress the masses through violence, punitive law, and fear.

2: ‘Ideological State Apparatuses’ (ISAs), such as the Church, the media, educational institutions, the family unit etc. These looser institutions control and dominate implicitly through ‘common sense’ acceptance and social norms, rather than through fear. This echoes Gramsci’s concept of hegemony, by which ideology’s power derives primarily from consent as opposed to the use of force.

To illustrate, consider these familiar ideas: ‘Realise your true potential,’ ‘Be yourself,’ ‘Lead a satisfying life.’ These values, suggesting the importance of the individual, and self-fulfilment, are dominant in the West, and closely linked with the ideology of consumerism, which arguably dominates and drives society.

The big idea We should buy more goods and consume as much as we can. Material wealth will make us happy.

Who does this Idea best serve The elite class, the manufacturers and owners of the means of production, the multinational corporations which benefit from their distribution.

Is it a common sense, accepted idea in Britain? Yes, it pervades all ages, genders and is a dominant global ideology in the 21st-century West, which constantly encourages us to want and to consume through advertising and marketing. Arguably, we are at the mercy of hugely powerful corporate messages, against which we need to be vigilant.

4) Do YOU agree with the idea behind They Live - that we are unthinkingly controlled by the media which is run in the interests of the economic elite? These are the big questions of A Level Media!

I believe at this age, the issues that are happening around the world causes young people and in some cases the older generation to use the media as a form of escape from day to day life. I believe the economy of being young is attention. Individuals also use the media to interpret whether they are real or not if their isn't 'viewed', and if they are not seen they simply do not exist. It's also an easy way to not be alone and take out your phone when you are feeling lonely in a situation. The media takes advantage of this situation by infiltrating your brain with either useless information or exaggerated form of news, which builds up their profit in the interest of the economic elite.

Media has always been under the surface, its simple distribution around us in everyday life has made us used to the fact that we are nothing without the media. The 'They Live' scene illustrates that idea of how our media consumption has slowly infiltrated our lives. The quote    'Don't question the authority' anecdotes that idea of the authority being the media and being the aliens in whom have consumed us into just feeding onto the information they give us. 'Marry and Reproduce' is also seen as us just creating more consumers suggesting that by us producing children, they are receiving a large amount of profit in the interest of the economic elite.