Ideology blog tasks

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.

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

There is binary opposition between conservatism vs leftism and support for immigrants vs being against immigration.

2) What ideologies are on display in this clip?

Conservative and liberal ideology, including socialism and support for immigrants and social welfare, are on display in this clip.

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 article discusses the radical politics of the Mockingjay films of the Hunger Games franchise that explore media saturation, ideology and the influence of the media to manipulate the populace. 

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

The Hunger Games films present capitalism as inherently exploitative, which is reinforced by the media landscape.

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

The Hunger Games films explore how those in control of the media are not only able to control the information that a nation receives but also the ideas that are prevalent in it. 

Page 48: They Live - Understanding Ideology

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

- Money is happiness
- Consumer goods provide fulfilment
- Marriage/family/children is happiness

- Obedience/work is fulfilment

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

Hegemony is the ability of the dominant class to project its own way of seeing the world so that those who are dominated by it (the masses), accept it as ‘common sense’ and ‘natural’. Gramsci 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.

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

Althusser suggested that ideology is the greatest material power and dominates our day to day lives through two key forms of control: Repressive State Control, also known as ‘Repressive State Apparatuses’ (RSAs) through the major institutions of society which are dominated by the ruling elite and regulate social behaviour and repress the masses through violence, punitive law, and fear, and ‘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. The social norms and values of the importance of the individual, and self-fulfilment, are dominant in the West, and closely linked with the ideology of consumerism.

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 partially agree with the ideas of hegemony and the dominating force of ideology in our everyday lives, particularly in the media that we consume, however, I believe there is a growing element of choice in the modern and digital media landscape of today to consume types of media with different messages. This doesn't mean I fully subscribe to the ideas of a liberal pluralist, as there are definitely capitalist messages pushed through mainstream media by the elite today, which is what allows it to be mainstream in the first place, but audience members are much more active participants than they were during the time of Gramsci and Althusser.